


The Synth Who Became Human

by The_RedLion



Category: Fallout (Video Games)
Genre: Brotherhood of Steel (Fallout), Character Death, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gun Violence, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, NSFW, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Paladin Origin Story, Self-Discovery, Synth love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2019-11-29 11:57:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18222854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_RedLion/pseuds/The_RedLion
Summary: This is a telling of  Danse's journey to becoming the infamous Brotherhood of Steel Paladin and to the time beyond that. It follows his life, and the life of those who helped make his destiny take shape. Our tale journeys across several years... from his days as a lowly scrap merchant, to his time as a prestige commanding officer for the Brotherhood, and eventually to the time after he finds out what/ who he truly is.———————So, I have decided to suspend this fiction. Not really sure if it’s permanent or not... but yeah. I have been getting some rude messages on Tumblr about it... and it’s kind of ruined the joy of it for me. Thank you for everyone that supported this story.If if you wanna know where I was gonna go with it, feel free to message me on Tumblr, the-redlion.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated.
> 
> Also y'all can find me on Tumblr:  
> https://the-redlion.tumblr.com

**April 2272**  

 

 Darkness. Stiffness. Pain. He could feel it in every inch of his being. **Was this death?** Slowly the fog started to clear. Muffled sounds gradually became distinct... _**voices?** _He needed to wake up. Slowly his eyes fluttered open between a few heavy blinks.  Hazy shadows bounced across the walls like marionettes, as soft candlelight illuminated aged tattered walls. A bedroom. His mind stirs. **_How did he get here?_** As he shifted to his side, the surrounding suddenly lose focus as a massive headache bloomed behind his eyes.

**_So, not dead._ **

Before he could collect his thoughts, a second wave hits. A sharp hiss releases from his lips as clumsy hands fly to his temples. The ringing in his ears gets louder and louder the till pain creates flashes of lights at the corners of his consciousness.

Then as quickly as it began, the pain was gone. **_What was that?_** He pondered as he slowly blinked away the slight gathering of tears. Despite the cloudy after effect, his mind was almost completely clear. His body felt as if he was given a straight shot of adrenaline. Shaking his head in slight disbelief, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Before he could dedicate more time to his ponderings, the bedroom door suddenly swung open.

“Hey Kid! Are ya up yet?!” Came a raspy aged voice from behind the open door. Soon a dingy old crimson cowboy hat appear, followed by a peppered beard. The beard complimented the rugged man who looked to be in his late 50’s. He wore a weathered duster embroidered with a Texas flag above his heart. The embroidery looks to be a newer edition, as its vibrate colors didn’t match the aged jacket. A slick smile tugged at the corner of his lips, as their eyes met.

“Well lookie here! From the way I found ya, I figured I’d be walkin’ in on a corpse. Would’ve sucked to pay the hotel here for a clean up fee, ha ha.” Bold green eyes grew serious as they studied their apparent ward.

“What’s chur name anyways, Kid?” **_His name. What was it?_** His eyes closed once more as he took in a slow deep breath. **_A name._**

“Jonathan…” He paused for a moment.

“Jonathan Danse.” Walnut colored eyes met wary green ones. Finally an old crooked laugh broke the silence.

“Well, it’s good’ta meetcha Jonny. I’m Donald Red but most of y’all northerners call me Red.”

\---

 

It’s been nearly two weeks since Danse, started out on his caravan route with Red. Still to this day, his amnesia never fully cleared. He could remember his name, and he knew he was headed south but, beyond that… nothing. Red told him not to worry about it too much.

“It’s about where yer goin’, not where ya been.” He’d always reassure him.

Danse surprised himself with how satisfied he was with such reasoning. Regardless, a voice at the back of his mind seemed to urge him forward. So forward it was.

Red worked as a caravan merchant. His trade route ran its way back and forth between the Capital Wasteland in D.C and the Commonwealth in Boston, where he found Danse. Apparently Red witnessed him collapses on the road, desperately clinging to his head while screaming and bleeding from both his ears and nose. “All dramatic like” as Red liked to recall. Red believed Danse might have been part of another traveling group, since other corpses were found nearby. Strangely the others had the same injuries as Danse - bleeding from the ears and nose. **_What kind of weapon would of caused an injury like that?_** Another oddity was no brauman or pack animals were found in the area. For a traveling troupe, they carried little or nothing with them. It was odd to say the least but, that was another thing Red advised him not to dwell on too long. The wasteland was a harsh place full of many mysteries and dangers. It’s best to always stay on your guard.

Thankfully their travels south have been rather uneventful. An occasional Raider attack here and there, but nothing the seasoned Red and newly battle minted Danse couldn’t handle. Over the past few weeks, Red had taught Danse how to manage a laser rifle. Well actually, it’s something Red like to credit himself with but, in actuality, it came to Danse as natural as breathing.   **_Was fighting part of his past?_ **

As their journey reached its sixteenth day, Danse could feel the weariness of travel seep deep into his bones.

“Ya got this Jonny! We should be in Rivet City by supper time!” Red said to Danse, sensing his travel companion’s stupor. Danse straightened, learning their long journey was almost at an end gave him a sudden second wind.

Making this trip to the Capital Wasteland gave Danse a lot of time to think. It allowed him to really dig deep into what he wanted to get out of this journey. Knowing so little of his past, Danse wanted to find something to give his life a new meaning. Staying optimistic, he felt as if Rivet City would have the key to what he was searching for.

Just as the sun started to dip below the horizon, Rivet City came into view. A sharp breath escaped Danse’s now gaped lips. He was in Awe. Red had mentioned the city was located in an old ship, but failed to allude to the grand scale of it all. Rivet City was a massive derelict aircraft carrier, beached in the skeletal remains of the once thriving Potomac River. Peppering its borders lay scattered failed settlements and pre-war neighborhoods. Danse had never seen it’s equal.

“Impressive, ain't she?” Red gave a grumbled chuckle as he lit another cigar. His smirk grew as he exhaled a slow stream of smoke.

“Well here’s to new beginnings” Red said as he gave the brim of his cowboy hat a tug.

  

 

** \- - Four Months Later - -  **

** August 2272 **

 

“Danse are you serious?” Cutler pinches the bridge of his nose while shaking his head.

“ You promised this time you were gonna bring something back other than all these “potential” weapon mods!”  Danse’s response was a soft grin followed by a slow intake of breath.

“Oh no, Sir! I am not dealing with one of your ‘weapons and tactical responsibility’ Speeches!” Cutler sighed once more as he dropped his shoulders.

“I get it, I really do. When we sell one of your Mods it’s real good caps but, it’s not a consistent income. Out of all the potential pieces you bring, how many end up actually turn out to be useful? Not to mention all the wasted time spent trying to find those mods. You could spend that time bringing back materials that actually sell!”

Danse understood where Cutler was coming from, he really did. But selling junk was the bottom of the barrel kind of job to Danse. He wanted to be doing something more. When he was tinkering with guns, he could escape. Throwing his entire heart into something felt good, even if it was on a small scale such as fixing up and modding guns. The major issue standing in his way, was the prospect of finding useful guns and mod pieces was extremely rare. Any good pieces were already scavenged long ago, or made in-house by organizations that had a lot more resources. Danse was just a poor junk merchant, he had no chance to compete. 

Danse could hear another deep sign from Cutler. Peering up from under his brow, Danse's smile sifted into a dismal frown, he could see Cutler drop his shoulders even lower as if to fully surrender.

“Look… I don’t mean to drag you down on the subject. I know how important it is to you… I just…” Cutler’s eyes fell away as if another though was stirring in his mind. Cutler was a good man, better than good actually, he was something special. In a world where everyone seemed to be looking out for themselves, he took Danse under his wing.

Danse broke the silence when he cleared his throat. He owed a lot to Cutler, being selfish wasn’t a way to pay that back.

“No, I am sorry. I understand you’re only trying to be reasonable. We need to stay focused on what’s more important, and that’s securing and maintaining our livelihood.” Danse gave Cutler a reassuring tight lipped smile followed by a slight nod.

Cutler's response was silent, only returning his small nod with one of his own. Danse hated the feeling of disappointing Cutler. It always seem to give rise to the most disheartening gut feeling.

He turned to start collecting the scraps retrieved from his failed gathering mission. Stuffing them into his duffle bag gave him a good way to avoid eye contact. The silence was unnerving but Danse knew he needed to fix this. There was still a few hours of daylight left, he had a good location in mind for the materials Cutler had in mind. If he got there soon enough he could make it back a little after dark.

As he reached for his laser rifle, Cutler grabbed his forearm, tugging it away.

“Hey now, I know what you’re thinking. It’s fine Danse…” Releasing Danse’s arm Cutler reaching for his duffle bag. Tugging it from his possession, he set it back down on the desk and started rummaging through it. He proceeded to start sorting the parts and giving possible ways to sell each.

“You know, maybe if you could get some of these old motors running in these fans, we might be able to sell them for some really good caps!” Danse just stared at Cutler, maybe a little too intensely. He didn’t need to do this. He always seemed to be salvaging things for Danse.

When they first met, it was right after Red had pretty much dropped Danse off in Rivet City and left. After such a long journey, Danse expected him to stick around for at least a week or two. Instead he left after only one night. Claimed it had something to do with news about a port up north with some loot he couldn’t pass up.

This really wasn’t too encouraging for Danse’s new beginning. Red had given him enough caps for one meal and a place to stay for the night. After that, it was all up to Danse. Sink or Swim. He had to find some way to earn caps if he was going to last beyond the night. All he could think of was selling his laser rifle. It had a few decent alterations. He could see it easily selling for a pretty cap. Aside from that, it’s the only thing he owned. But all that was easier said than done, no one seemed willing to buy a rifle with such strange mods, and on top of that from someone who looked so intimidating.

“Ya know, you might be better off scrapping your rifle and just selling its parts.” Without even bothering to look up Danse was already correcting the stranger’s mistake.

“This is a perfectly acceptable altered laser rifle. Both the stock and sights have been adjusted to provide precision accuracy. The sights have been modified within…”

“Alright, alright… point made.” The stranger chuckled. Danse was in disbelief.  This stranger not only had the audacity to tell him to scrap his rifle, a rifle he apparently saw no advantage to, but to boldly cut him off. Asinine.

“Well, I can tell I obviously pissed you off… so why don’t we start over. The name’s Ryan Cutler... I can offer you a job if you’re interested.” He stated as he offered his hand. Danse was wary to say the least. This stranger, this Cutler’s motivations didn’t add up. Though there wasn’t much in the way of other options. 

“A job? Why the offer after telling me to scrap my rifle?” Danse questions, still refusing to shake his hand. Cutler retracts his hand as he clears his throat, his voice adjusted to be a little more serious.

“To be honest, why not? It’s not as complicated and you’re probably making it in your mind.”

Danse's brow unfurled, as he really looked at the stranger for the first time. He wasn't making it complicated. It was a perfectly reasonable question. Danse continued to stare, maybe a little too intensely.

"You don't seem like you have a lot to lose. Just give it a change, if you don't like the job you can be on your way."

There it was, another genuine smile. Was this guy really this trusting? Then again, wasn't he rather trusting of Red at first? He wasn't really sure why he was so skeptical about this man. Was it because he seemed to stand apart? As with most wastelands, they looked as if they were worn and at the end of their tether. Cutler seemed to have a bright boyish charm, like this decrepit world couldn't keep him from smiling. Or perhaps it was how he looked. Honestly, he was the first attractive person Danse had seen in the Wasteland. He had dirty blond locks tied back into a short mess of... something. But the way the stray hairs fell to frame his face, the chaos just seemed to compliment his looks. He had bright hazel eyes, which stood brilliantly against his light olive complexion. His peaked lips were a suave tribute to his inviting smile. Danse's wasn't sure anything could dull the allure of that smile.

Suddenly clearing his throat, Danse shook his head. Disturbing his straying internal thoughts. No, it was because of his bold comments. Tck, Asinine.

"Alright, you have a point. If I don't like it, I'm out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I want to thank you for reading the intro to my story. Whether you liked my story or not, I am grateful. I haven't written anything of my own in several years. I have been editing/ co-writing for a few people but sadly, I lost my mojo for my own pieces.  
> Recently tumblr has reignited my desire to write again. I was very excited and nervous for this piece. I am open to criticism, but please be open to the fact that Im pretty rusty, this is my intro piece back into the world of writing. This is also the first time I have released a piece without a beta. My original beta is busy with school (potentially looking for a new one). I hope you enjoyed everything so far, Id love to hear what you guys think.


	2. Chapter 2

**August 2272**

 

Eager to fix his mistake from yesterday, Danse spent all night working to get those fan motors operational again. With relatively good success, he was able to get four of the original six working again.

Danse twisted his shoulders and neck as he glanced up at the old rusted Nuka- Cola clock. 4:28am. **_Shit. Cutler would be up soon._**  Reaching his left hand across his chest he grabbed his right shoulder, desperately trying to work out the stubborn knot still tucked away below the crook of his neck.

As if on cue, he could hear Cutler start to stir from the other room. Well, he was officially past the point of convincing him he had slept. Though that's not saying he would of had any success anyway, Cutler was a lot sharper than that. He knew Cutler wasn’t going to be a fan of the situation… but maybe actually having high valuable parts might lighten his view.

In actuality they weren't that bad off this month. If anything, they were approaching being in the black - financially speaking. Thankfully it didn’t take much to accomplish such a feat. Boarding expenses were rather cheap, and renting a space that doubled as both a home and a storefront; was killing two birds with one stone. As far as resources went, they didn't need to purchase much. They had a pretty good system for any of the necessities. During the early morning they would split up, Cutler would take on the responsibility of hunting and gathering of wild crops and Danse would go off scavenging. Even though both men were excellent shots, Cutler had an eye for long distance marks, where as Danse had better tactical awareness. In the afternoon, Cutler would transition to working the storefront as Danse would work on parts or mods in the back.

In theory, it sounded like a pretty good arrangement but in reality it was a source of many of their debates. Where Danse could see the advantages of it all; Cutler saw it as a huge risk factor. Sure he ran solo for years before meeting Danse, but wasn't running in tandem the advantage of having two people? Unfortunately, separating was their only realistic option. As they had learned in the past, neither a good hunt or a good scavenge were guaranteed, so it was critical to dedicate as much as they could to both tasks.

Of course that all made sense but it did nothing to sate Cutler’s uneasiness. Another worry on his mind was it had only been a few months since Danse first came to Rivet City. Even though he was a quick learner, he seemed to be a complete greenhorn to the way the Wasteland worked. Cutler had grown rather protective of him.

To most in Rivet City, Danse sometimes came off as a blunt asshole… well, most of the time really. Though, if they’d bothered to look a little deeper, Danse was simply just an honest person. He could definitely use some people skills, sure... but regardless of the latter, Cutler admire that about him. I guess that’s what drew Cutler to him.  In his line of work, scam artists were a common plague. To have someone like Danse, was refreshing.

Slowly Cutler opened his eyes to see soft shades of blue peering through the porthole of their bedroom. The sun was teasing its early morning riser. As he shifted, he stretched his limb and pushing out the dull ache of sleep. As he forced his way out of bed, he could see the dull lamplight pour out from the front room. The telltale sign Danse had once again pulled an all nighter, because between the two of them, Danse was definitely the late sleeper. Though this was rather predictable for Danse. He wasn’t one to sit on something if he felt it was wrong.  

Cutler let out a soft yawn as he approached. He could see Danse trying to work out a few knots in his shoulders to no avail. Moving in quietly behind him, Cutler placed the base of his palms between Danse’s shoulder blades. Kneading his hands forward he began to ease the tightness. Danse simply leaned back, inviting the much needed relief as he closed his eyes.

“So another all nighter, huh?” Cutler mumbled while sporting a sleepy grin.

“Yes, but justified. I was able to get these motors working as you suggested.” Danse said as he lazily gestured towards the work bench. Cutler gave a slight chuckle in response, while shaking his head.

“ You know, you could have just waited till this morning. Remember, you need sleep too and we aren’t that desperate.”

“This frees up the rest of the day. It’s more productive." Danse said as he slowly started to open his eyes... leaning back further into his chair so to look up at Cutler. “I could even go out hunting with you this morning since I won't need as much time for a parts run.”

“Yeah… that doesn’t really solve the problem of you getting time to sleep. How about you just skip the parts run. We should be fine with those motors. You can catch up on sleep when I open shop.” Cutler says as he digs his thumbs deeper into the knots, earning an approving hum from Danse. A moment later, Danse leans forward pulling his partner’s hands from his shoulders, as he swivels his chair around. Walnut eyes met Hazel. He studied those eyes before shaking his head in an approving chuckle.

“Alright, you have a deal. I’ll sleep after the hunt.”

 

**\---**

 

As the sun rose, it continued to chip away at the eerie haze which had settled across the wasteland. Regardless of the sun’s persistence though, the fog still held its ground in the denser parts of the surrounding forest. Placing a bit of a challenge for the pair of hunters. Semi-shitty conditions aside, Danse was excited to finally be out hunting again. He had been working on a hunting rifle incase if a situation like this. He was so eager to test it out, he couldn't stop smiling to himself.

“You’re gonna give away our location smiling like that.” Cutler said as he watched Danse sling his weapon over his shoulder with such pride.

“Ridiculous.” Danse said as his smile quickly disappeared from his lips. Cutler just patted him on the back a few times as he continued to laugh at the other man’s reaction.

Soon Cutler began to lead them towards the southern part of the forest. He had been tracking a small gathering of Radstag for the past few days in this area. Radstag were always a tricky target. Even if you lead a successful hunt, if the creature was too irradiated it made the meat completely useless. A sad reality to a few of Cutler’s past hunts. This is where such early morning hunting came into play. The highly irradiated beasts stood out more in the dark. Disadvantage it this strategy was the low visibility for anything else. Thankfully Danse had installed a night vision scope on his rifle a few weeks back.

About an hour into their trek, they were finally hot on set of tracks. Cutler could feel a hot prickle of excitement work its way down his spine. It had been awhile since he bought a kill home, and he was eager to show off in front of Danse.

Then, just beyond a small clearing at the base of a slight waterfall, a pair of female radstags came into view. His excitement grew even more when he saw the stags had no visible signs of mass radiation.

“Looks like the girls are clean. No glow or radiation marks.” He said to Danse as he peered through his scope.

“Why don’t we both take one, we can dry and extra meat or even sell it.” Danse whispered in response to Cutler’s observation. Cutler paused for a minute. It could work, but they potentially risk losing both stags if they don’t do it right. They could close in on a count together and fire at once. Though that risked them putting each others accuracy off, since they have never tried something like this before.

There was a second option, which would require them to be highly skilled shots. A skill they definitely both possessed but they'd also have to trust in each other’s skill and speed. This second option was called a ‘Lead and Follower’ shot. The concept was pretty simple. Once they were both comfortable with their positions, the Lead would take their shot. Once the Follower heard the Lead’s shot, they'd take their shot immediately after. This allows them both to maintain accuracy. The only thing they risk is the Follower’s shot being too slow, which could spook the second stag. Even so, Cutler favored this option and suggested it to Dance. Even recommending him as the follower.

It didn’t take Danse long to weigh the pros and cons and he soon agreed to the plan. Both men soon got into position as they lined up their shots. The stags were still oblivious to their presents and maintained their position in the clearing. The men couldn’t of asked for better conditions. On a steady inhale, Cutler took the shot and before he could blink he heard Danse take his. Both stags dropped with only a little resistance. No tracking was even required, this hunt couldn’t of gone any better.

“Hot shit!” Cutler celebrated from behind his scope. A grin bloomed across his cheeks from ear to ear. Danse gave a subtle chuckle as he stood up to appreciate their kill. It really was well executed. They made an efficient team. Cutler soon stood and started making his way across the water towards the clearing. Danse was soon to follow, only taking a few extra moments to gather their packs. Something Cutler forgot in his hase to recover their reward. Sometimes Cutler could get ahead of himself like that, but Danse could tell he was excited. He hadn’t been able to bring home a kill in over a week now, so this was definitely a big win for him.

Reaching the carcasses, Cutler circled around the two beasts. Still grinning like a giddy child, he turned to wave Danse over. He was obviously taking his sweet time.

“Come on, Danse… Lets…” but before he could finish his sentence, a third shot rang out. Danse’s limbs suddenly froze, as if they were paralyzed in time. Three seconds felt like an eternity as walnut colored eyes met Hazel. Horrified lips uttered silent words before a body crumbled to the ground. In that fourth second, time suddenly caught up and his limbs lunged forward. Battlefield awareness be damned, all he could think was **_Cutler was shot._**

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [03.26.2019] - Made some adjustments to the timeline. So you will see that little change in the first chapter. I wanted to extend the boys time together. I am really liking the two of them the more I write. The smallest, tiniest part of me wants to just go rogue and make an AU... yay Cutler is lives.


	3. Chapter 3

**August 2272**

 

 ** _Pressure. keep the pressure._** Danse's hands trembled as he frantically clung to his friend's wound. The blood's heat soaked into his fingers as everything seemed to stain crimson. **_Why won't the blood stop?_** Panic continued to seep into every fiber of his body. Cutler’s eyes had gone wide, frantically staring up at Danse for some kind of answer. The fear was unspoken but held thick in the air between them.

“Hey… Hey… I got you…” Danse tried to reassure his companion but beyond that, he was at a loss of words. What was he supposed to say in this situation? He had never experienced anything so dire. Sure, He had seen wounded people pass through Rivet City…  hell, he’d even seen some of them die. But this… this was someone he _cared_ about. This was his only friend.

“W- wh… o..” was all Cutler could manage to get past quivering lips. Danse quickly shushed him. **_Focus. Focus for him._ ** Danse took in a deep breath as he attempted to channel his inner tactical bravado. He could feel the trembling in his limbs start to settle. He knew if he was to have any chance of getting Cutler to safety, he’d needed to make a plan. Take care of the culprit was definitely a priority, but first he needed to stabilize Cutler as much as possible. Leaning forward, he leaned his cheek against Cutler's whispering into his ear once more.

“I'm gonna need to get your scarf dirty.” He said softly as he placed his left hand under Cutler’s head, cradling it gently as his right hand slowly uncoiled the scarf from his neck. Cutler managed a small smile as a response. **_he's too damn pale._** Once done, he carefully placed Cutler’s head back down. Grabbing the scarf once more, he laced it underneath Cutler’s torso, then taking a folded blanket, from their pack, he placed it over the wound to maintain pressure. Once that was done he coiled the scarf a second time around before securing the ends of the scarf together.

Suddenly another shot whizzed past, cracking against the tree branch just above Danse's head. He let out a pissed off hiss, as he scrambled for his rifle. He was definitely at a disadvantage, but at least the new shot gave him a path of origin for the shooter. Turning from his comrade he threw himself into the nearest cover. Luckily it seemed like a dense collection of foliage and old logs. peering over his makeshift cover, he took his first look into his scope. At first he saw nothing. unfortunately having patience wasn't a luxury he could currently afford. The situation might even require him to be a little reckless. Reaching around to his pack, his fingertips grazed across two frag grenades secured to the back pocket. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes, he pulled the pin from his first grenade. Taking a second deep breath he opened his eyes, and tossed the grenade away into the gathering of birch trees just outside of the clearing's edge. Collapsing to the dirt, Danse could feel the explosion effect reverberate across the earth, as two screams of horror accompanied the devastation.

Taking a second look into his scope, he zeroed in on a single silhouette staggering out from the treeline. It was only a few paces from where his grenade had exploded. **_Objective acquired._** From there it only took him a second more to line up his bullets trajectory. **_Aim for the head._** Hands gripped firmly as his index finger took its place against the trigger. On a steady intake… a hollow echo range out as crimson stalked the clearing. This time there was no scream as only bark stained trees lay witness to Danse’s assassination.

Cautiously, Danse made his way over to the clearing. He needed to confirm his assailant or possibly assailants were dead. He couldn't afford any surprises while extracting his wounded friend.

The first corpse had been shredded into several pieces, though only one part was visible. A torn torso was wedged between splintered tree branches, as a pile of entrails oozed out towards the river bank. **_DEAD._**  The second body looked as if it was sleeping, the left side of its form laying across itself next to some wild shrubs. If it wasn’t for all the blood, one could easily believed it to be true. Upon closer inspection, an exploded skull presented itself. **_DEAD._** Two targets, terminated. Making sure to take extra precautions, Danse took one more quick glance around. **_There._** Just beyond the second corpse, he noticed three packs laying out near a grouping of rocks. **_A third._** Then, as quickly as the realization hit him a tree branch snapped. Turning to the source of the noise, he barely had enough time to react as a body crashed into him from behind. His rifle knocked from his grip. **_Shit._**

The third assailant wore a makeshift burlap gasmask, with two crudely cut out eyes. There might have been goggles at one point but they looked to have been ripped away. Taking advantage of this, Danse was able to grab a handful of dirt and toss it into his attacker’s eyes. A frustrated growl rang out, as a combat knife was suddenly at his face. The raider was able to successfully strike him across the right side of his face. Danse hissed as the sharp pain bloomed across his face. His vision was instantly blurred by a sudden gush of blood. With this, the tides might be turning against him, not to mention he had no close combat weapons with him. A juvenile mistake, one which might cost him both his and Cutler’s life. Once again he was forced to make another reckless move. Reaching up, he took ahold of his attacker’s wrist and twisted it violently in an attempt to free the knife. He was rewarded when it fell to the ground as another screech of pain rang out. In one fluid move, Danse had grabbed the knife and plunged it deep into the assailant’s gut. As the assailant reeled back in pain, Danse rolled to his side to grab his rifle. A close quarters shot wasn’t ideal but it was all he had. Without hesitation, the final shot rang out as his attacker slumped to the ground.

Heavy breathing, and a light ringing was all he could hear. Reeling backwards Danse blinked in disbelief as the grip on his rifle started to shake. **_DEAD._ **The gravity of it all started to finally sink in. He struggled with how close he came to failing. His legs strained to stand, but he had no time to dwell on it, he needed to get back to Cutler.

Making his way back, Cutler was still laying where Danse had left him. Only this time, his eyes were closed. **_No, No, Noooo._ **His insides felt like they were screaming as the knot in his gut dropped. He leaned down to softly slap the side of his partner’s face.

“No, you need to wake up! Come on! Open your eyes…”  He said a little more harshly than he intended to. Danse’s eyes scanned his makeshift bandage. The blood had just started to soak through the first few layers of the blanket. **_Damn it all._ **He needed to get him back to Rivet City quickly. Fear started to flood back into him, his controlled demeanor started to unravel into a jumbled mess of  panic. Then a hand was on his forearm, a touch so light he barely noticed it. His face shot up to catch dimly lit eyes staring up at him.

“H-how did your face get all fucked up?” Cutler spoke quietly as his had migrated upwards, barely touching Danse’s face with his fingertips. Taking Cutler’s hand in his, he gave it a reassuring squeeze as a soft chuckle fell from his lips.  

“A story for another time. I have to get you to the City. I am sorry if I hurt you…”  He said as he gave his prone partner a pitiful smile. Cutler returned the small nod without a word as his eyes fluttered closed once again.

Reaching under his wounded companion Danse took a firm grip and hurled Cutler up against his shoulders, placing his companion in a fireman’s carry. Cutler gave out a couple sharp gasps in pain during the transition.  Danse’s heart sank even more. It wasn’t ideal for Cutler’s injury but it was the fastest way to get him back to the city.

 

\---

 

Due to the urgency of the situation, Danse practically sprinted back to Rivet City, pushing his body within an inch of its breaking point. As the gates came into view, Danse caught the attention of Security Chief Harkness. Seeing the situation unfold before him, he ran over to offer his assistance to the two wounded hunters.

“Shit Danse, what happened?” Harkness questioned as he shifted to help open the front security hatch to the city.

“We were blindsided by a group of raiders. Cu... Cutler was shot.” Danse paused as he choked on his name.

“Do… do you know if Doctor Preston is available?” 

Harkness studied Danse’s face for a moment, he was clearly assessing his injury as well. Danse didn’t have time for that.

“Harkness!” He yelled in a low and urgent growl. Harkness immediately refocused, with a sharp nod as he lead them through the corridors to the physician's practice. The practice was illuminated, which was a good sign, but once inside the doctor was missing. In his stead was his apprentice, Rochelle Lucas. Danse had always seen her around, but nothing more then Stimpak or Med-X applications. He wanted to groan in frustration but now wasn’t the time to be critical about the available help. They rushed into the practice. Harkness helped Danse place Cutler down onto the nearest empty bed.

Initially startled by the sudden rush of activity into her office, Lucas seemed to collect herself rather quickly when the severity of the situation presented itself. Making her way to Cutler’s side, she wedged herself between Harkness and her prone patient. Delicate fingers worked under the tattered bandage. Blood had now soaked all the way through to the scarf. This didn’t help Danse’s nerves, a sudden wave of panic reignited itself in his gut. It was so severe it made him light headed and nauseous. Apparently his panic was visible because Lucas had soon ordered Harkness to assist Danse in taking a seat on another bed. Danse didn't argue, mainly because he was losing all strength to do anything.

clearing her throat, Lucas refocused her attention to Cutler’s gunshot wound. Pulling a pair of sheers from her side table, she cut her way through Cutler’s faded blue flannel now completely stained. As she pulled away the final layer of fabric, a sharp hiss came from her patient. Glancing up, Cutler’s eyes were slowly fluttering under his eyelids. A good sign, which seemed to visibly calm Danse’s nerves. Maybe too much so. Lucas pointed out the change in Danse’s demeanor to Harkness. After a few small sways, his eyes started to roll back. Before he could fall Harkness lightly guided him down to the bed.

“He has to be exhausted. I'm not sure how far out they were... but as far as I could see, he basically sprinted with Cutler on his shoulder all the way here.” Harkness stated as he sat at the edge of Danse’s bed, cautiously removing the gear and weaponry from his now unconscious form.

“I can only imagine.” Lucas replied as she continues to clean away Cutler’s wound. It was going to be a long day of work ahead of her.

 

\---

 

Darkness slowly started to dissipate as light pooled at the corners of his vision. Blinking away the weariness, the shapes of the room started to become clear. He moved to sit up, but a sharp pain shot up from his abdomen, causing him to curl forward in a loud hiss of pain. Within a moment, dainty hands were assisting him, placing a few fluffed pillows behind him and allowing him to lean back against a slight incline.

“You’re gonna want to take it easy for a bit. I’d hate to see you pull out your stitches.” It was the doctor’s assistant, Lucas who spoke. She was a small woman in stature. Especially compared to Cutler and Danse who stood just above six feet. Lucas stood just around a head’s length beneath that. She had rich mocha colored skin with deep raven colored locks, which were rarely seen out of her tight slicked back bun. Her dark blue eyes stood out against her dark completion, something that complimented her rather well.

“W-wha… ah… W-what happened? Where is Danse?” The later part of his sentence said with a newly awoken panic. Lucas gave a small smile accompanied by a breathy chuckle.  

“He’s right over there…” She said as she pointed to a sleeping form two beds down from Cutler’s.

“From what I gathered from Harkness, you two were ambushed while out hunting. Danse basically ran all the way back carrying you on his shoulders. He passed out soon after arriving here. He sustained a pretty severe laceration across his right eye and cheek. Luckily it wasn’t deep enough to compromise his eyes.”

Cutler shift to take a better look at his companion. A white bandage seemed to cover the entire right side of his face. He couldn't see much else since Danse was turned facing the opposite way. He felt like shit having to put him through that. Closing his eyes, Cutler leaned back deeper into the pillows as he growled in frustration.

“You on the other hand… Your injury was almost touch and go. Thankfully I was able to extract the bullet with little trouble. To prevent any infection and help with the healing, I’ve given you a rather large Stimpak along as a dose of Med X for the pain.” Lucas said with a small smile as she got up from Cutler’s side, moving over to Danse’s side. She slowly peered under his bandage making sure the bleeding had completely stopped.

“You know, you really have an amazing friend. I don't think he'd want you to beat yourself up over this. He was pretty worried about you.”

“Yeah… he really is something…” Cutler said as crooked smile raised from the corner of his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character Note:  
> I know Harkness (A3-21) probably escaped the Institute a lot closer to 2277 but I didn’t really want to write an OC just to fill his position. 
> 
>  
> 
> Story Notes:  
> Sorry if this chapter is kinda shitty. I lost it when my computer decided to run updates. In my hast I probably fudged up a lot. T__T


	4. Chapter 4

**September 2272**

 

“How does it feel? Your scar that is?” Cutler asked as they started packing up their belongings. They were finally being allowed to return home, something both men were beyond ready to do. The two companions have been in the hospital wing for a little over two week now. If Cutler wasn't going to die of his injuries, he was sure he was going to die of boredom. Though, all joking aside, Cutler wasn’t the reason they had to stay in the hospital wing for such an extended period of time.

With little information to go on, Danse’s initial exhaustion was diagnosed as nothing more than just that. After five days in a coma like slumber, their concerns started to deepen. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much they could do beyond sustaining his basic needs, so Doctor Preston and Lucas decided to keep him on an IV drip. On the sixth day, Danse finally woke up, but immediately began suffering from a severe migraine.

Eventually the migraine escalated to such a critical point, Doctor Preston decided to sedate him in order to keep him comfortable . They were baffled at why such a reaction was occurring. Severe fatigue could definitely create something like this, but for someone as young and fit at Danse, it was definitely an oddity to say the least. An even bigger oddity was when Danse woke for the second time, nothing seemed to be amiss from his normal self. His vitals were reporting normal, there were no residual headaches, and no sign of any extra weariness.  

 

\---

 

“It’s fine.” Danse replied not bothering to look up from his packing duties. Cutler knew something was off, he could sense the shortness in his friends tone. Maybe he just needed to get out. Being restricted to the medical wing for so long would drive anyone stir crazy, even someone as collected as Danse.

“Really? That’s surprising. My scar itches like hell! It’s not even CLOSE to the size of yours.” Regardless of his poor choice in topics, Cutler was trying to lighten the mood. Though it seemed to be having the opposite effect than initially intended.

 “This isn’t something you should be comfortable joking about, Cutler. You almost died. You think you would  have a little more decorum.” Danse was full on glaring at Cutler with a fierceness he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen before. His brow arched forward, as an ominous mood settled between them.

“Hey! Don’t you think I know that? Everyone copes with their shit differently, Danse. Don’t you think I’m kicking myself for getting us into a situation like that?” Cutler could feel the frustration churning in his gut.

“You? You had nothing to do with it. I should have been better prepared. I was responsible for guarding your back and I failed. Once you were injured, I became  responsible for your extrication, and I almost failed at that too. I was sloppy and ill equipped. The Wasteland is a cesspool of unpredictability, it's common sense.  I should have been prepared for several different altercations. Instead, I was caught off guard due to my own mindlessness.” Danse’s eyes darted back to his pack with such urgency, despite the fact that his hands still hadn't moved.

“Are you serious? You did the best you could in the situation. In hindsight, everything looks predictable. You could debate all day the possibilities of us seeing those Raiders, but what is done is done. You and I are both okay. Shouldn’t we take our victories where we can?” Cutler came around to sit on the bed beside Danse’s backpack. He wanted him to look at him.

“That’s tactically irresponsible. Mistakes happen, sure… but the moment we ignore those failures is the moments we go complacent. We need to face them for what they are, failures. I failed you that day. It will not happen again.” Danse held fast as he refused to make eye contact with Cutler.

“I…” Cutler paused as he released a long sign. He didn’t know what to say. He knew how stubborn Danse could be in these situations, but to let him go on believing this was all his fault... That just didn’t sit right with him. 

“You didn’t fail me. I think you need to stop being so hard on yourself. I know you, and I know you’re gonna stew on this but, I want you to know I trust you. I put my trust in you the moment we set out on that hunt, and I believe that trust was well placed, Danse. I am alive because of you.” Cutler reached forward to touch the back of Danse’s hand. He squeezed his knuckles, hoping this small touch would reassure him.  Danse still didn’t moved, but his eyes did focus on the light gesture. After a few moments, Walnut colored eyes slowly drift up to make eye contact with his partner’s. He studied him for a moment, taking in everything he said before nodding slowly.

 

\---

 

Even with their apparent understand before leaving the medical wing, their normalcy struggled to become just that. A strange awkwardness had driven a wedge between the two men. Cutler hated the feeling of something foreign between them, but he was at a loss. On one hand, he wanted to curse Danse for still being so stubborn about the subject. On the other hand, he understood. The guilt dug at him too. Normally something like this wouldn’t bother him so much. He knew what mortality was like in the Wasteland, no day is guaranteed, but with Danse, that was different. He treasures his life a lot more than most, hell... more than anyone's really. Cutler pressed his palm against his abdomen. He could feel his gut starting to tie up in knots again- another thing that never seemed to happen before Danse.

“Is your wound hurting you? I can escort you down to the medical wing if you need attention.” Danse voice boomed, startling Cutler. He gave out a breathy laugh as he leaned his head back over his shoulder.

“You startled me, and no, I am fine. Just ah…. Something else…” Cutler cleared his throat. “What about you, anymore headaches?” He said turning his chair around to face Danse.

“No. Nothing since that day.” Danse announced as he sat in the old bar stool next to Cutler’s desk. 

“ Do you normally get headaches when you push yourself that far?” Cutler asked  as he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as his hands claps together.

“ Actually, I can only ever recall it happening once before. I am not really sure what caused it though. It was one of the first things I remember after Red saved me. Most painful thing I've ever felt. Well… till a few days ago.” Danse shifted a little uncomfortably on the stool as he reminisced to that night.

“Yeah… they are pretty nasty. Had one myself. It was a long time ago, after my parents were killed. Doctor Preston said it was probably due to shock. It’s probably what triggered the nightmares too. Traumatic events and all that jazz.” Cuter was trying to keep the mood light with a rather depression conversation. He felt as if he was circling the drain.  

“What were they like?” Danse said, his eyes finally meeting Cutler. They were gentle, which was rare for Danse. Normally he was glaring or studding you under a furrowed brow.

“My parents?” Cutler asked as Danse gave a slight nod.

“Yes. I don’t remember anything about mine. I am not even sure if they are still alive or if I even have siblings.”

This conversation was a little surprising to Cutler, it was something that seemed to almost be taboo between them. He knew it was hard on Danse dealing with a forgotten past, so he never wanted to rub salt into an old wound.

 “Hmm, well… my parents were merchants. Actually,  more accurately my mother was a merchant and my father was a blacksmith. They made, repaired, and traded in  melee weapons.” Cutler paused for a moment as the sweet memories started to rush back, a tender smile even danced across his lips as he spoke. 

“ My mom could sell ice to a snowman. She was a smooth talker but she was really good with people. Had a real bubbly personally you couldn't help but love... I don’t recall anyone who didn't enjoy her company. My Father on the other hand, he was a lot more reserved. He was a man of few words but he was good at his craft. People came from mile around just to purchase his quality weapons.” pleasantry started to fade from his demeanor as harsher memories started to flood in.

 

“They uh… They were killed by a band of raiders. As you can imagine, they wanted my family’s wares. We put up a fight, and ultimately who we didn't kill we drove off, but it wasn't a sweet victory. My mother was killed during the altercation and my father died a few days later of his wounds. I was only left with this...” Cutler pulled down the corner of his t-shirt to reveal the remains of a laser weapon’s burn. The scar looked as if it could be a branding of a sunburst, reaching half way across his collar bone.

“ Pretty shitty exchange if you ask me.” 

For a moment there was just silence between them. Danse seemed to be processing while Cutler started to fidget with his fingers, cracking any joint that would let him.

“You’re a lot like your mother.” Cutler’s eyes squinted a bit in confusion at Danse’s comment.

 “You’re a people person, like her. Hell, when I first got here you were the only person who would give me the time of day. Plus, name a person who doesn’t enjoy your company.”

“Well apparently raiders. I don’t have the best record with them…”  Judging from the nasty look Danse was now giving, that joke didn't go over well. 

“Sorry. I just… thank you…” Unlocking his fingers, he placed his hand against Danse’s knee, giving it a brief squeeze.  This moment was nice between them. Cutler’s wasn’t sure if it would fully mend everything between them, but as far as a start goes, it was pretty damn good.

“Can I be frank with you?” Danse asked, his eyes now staring down at Cutler’s hand upon his knee.

“When are you not?” His response managed to get a small chuckle from Danse.

“True enough. All joking aside, I want to apologize to you. For the other day. You were right, about all of it. There wasn’t much we could of done differently. I just… I hated the way the whole situation made me feel. Seeing that happen to you… I don’t think I have ever felt so desperate in my life. What was I supposed to do if I lost you?”

Cuter gave a small chuckle after hearing such a comment from Danse. It wasn't amusement that cause the reaction, but realization. Cutler was now giving his full attention to Danse- bright hazel eyes met their favorite pair of walnut colored orbs. His smile must have been addicting because now Danse was grinning from ear to ear. Boldly Cutler’s left hand was now caressing Danse’s cheek. Thin fingers resting just beyond the jawline as his thumb nuzzled along the rigid like of Danse’s newly minted scar. Both men release a small chuckle as their foreheads fell together. Cutler could feel the churning in his gut once more, only this time he knew exactly what it was for. Closing his eyes, he gave into the fluttering knots, as their lips finally met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character Notes:  
> Year 2272 - Danse is 18 years old and Cutler is 20. Ya know... just for fyi lol.
> 
> Story Notes:  
> This story has gone in a completely different direction from when I started (including the outline which isn’t written into chapters yet). It’s kind of morphing into a Danse and Cutler story. Ugh, Cutler’s death is gonna hit Danse so hard T_T


	5. Chapter 5

**\- - Two Weeks Later - -**

**September 2272**

 

 

Rhythmic thuds echo across their small apartment, as Cutler impatiently bangs his forehead against the apartment entryway. Today was the first day he was allowed to go back into the Wasteland, and his excitement was eating at his patients.

For the past two weeks, Danse had been taking care of the scrap and hunting runs. Under the heavy recommendations of Cuter, Danse was asked to take a partner out. Luckily Harkness had volunteered to help out as long as Cutler took on his security shifts. It was a more than reasonable trade, and Cutler was content with the work, but being out in the Wasteland was definitely more his forte. His eagerness borderline on child-like glee.

“You hardly packed this diligently with Harkness…. Lets go, Danse! I am sure you have everything. Besides you’re wasting daylight and good weather conditions.” Cutler mumbled into metal framework.

“You’re not even a little bit wary of your first trip out? You should be checking over your pack just as thoroughly.” Danse’s tone was low as he continued to recount his stimpak for the third time.

Letting his hands fall limp to his sides, Cutler let out a loud drawn out sigh. His head was now fully leaning against the door frame.

“Danse! It was fine the three times _YOU_ counted it last night, and the two times _I_ checked it this morning. If you’re not ready in the next two minutes, I am leaving without you!”

“Fine, Fine.” Making the last few adjustments, Danse fastens up his pack and slings it over his shoulder. Patting his thigh, he checks for his hunting knife. **Check.** Standing up straight, he stretches one last time, his signature sideways smile inches across his lips.  “Alright, you are free to lead the way.”

Springing up from his perch, Cutler shifted his weight allowing himself to spin around on the heels, greeting Danse’s smile with his own.

“FINALLY!”

_\---_

 

About an hour and a half north-west of the city, just across the Potomac River, Danse and Cutler found a small collection of pre-war businesses. Possibly the remnants of a small trading town. Danse was surprised on how well the town was preserved after all this time. As far as he could tell, it had barely been pillaged by scavengers, most stores still had plenty of wares in the windows. Though, ghost towns like these weren’t unheard of, a sad reminder of how little human life the bombs left behind.

Guns drawn, both men made their way down the main road cautiously. They decided to check each building individually. Starting at the north west side of the road, the first building appears to be an old general store, a proven cash cow in the past. Here the pair found plenty of valuable scrap such as screws, Abraxo cleaners, Wonderglue, fuses, lightbulbs, duct tape, and even a few circuit boards. They even found a small supply of pre-war foods such as Cram, Instamash, Sugar Bombs, and Snack Cakes. This haul was proving to be one of the most successful ones in months, and after a rough past few weeks, this was just the kind of pick-me-up the men needed.

“You know, we could head back now if you wanted to, get an early start on the shop.” Danse announced as they made their way from the store. He will admit he also didn’t want to overwork Cutler on his first run since being shot.

“What, no way! Don't tell me you didn't see what was at the end of the road?” A devilish little grin bloomed across Cutler’s lips. Danse had to fight the urge to roll his eyes as soon as he noticed the store. Fallon's. It was no secret to Danse that his companion had an obsession with the store. Sure, it was good to stock up on clothes, scrap, and ammo, but that’s not why Cutler adored them

As to many people in the Wasteland, Pre-Great War history and knowledge was a complete lost to them. If any knowledge was to be preserved, technology, military, or medical information took high priority. Cutler on the other hand, he liked to collect the smaller stories. If only for a glimpse, he liked to see into the day to day lives of pre-war humans. He cherished finding odd household relics, fictional tales, comic books, and even seeing the vast fashion tastes of the time. Fallon’s provided all of that and more.

“As you wish…” Danse couldn’t help but chuckle as he fell in line behind Cutler, who was all too eager to lead the way. Once inside Cutler’s excitement practically boiled over.

“Do remember we still have to remain diligent. This doesn't mean you can let your guard down.” Danse pulled a small silver plated lighter from his pocket, hoping to illuminate the area a bit more. Most of the place just looked like junk to him, and not even sellable junk, but to Cutler this was a treasure trove. One of Cutler’s favorite items from the past were comic books, and as soon as he saw the display in the back corner of the shop, he made a B-line straight for them. Danse will admit Cutler's glee was definitely a good sign. He had been worried about this trip. He was worried the near death experience would scar Cutler in more ways than one. But Cutler was a survivor and seemed to bounce back even stronger than before. Danse admire that about him.

As Cutler continued to pour through the old comics, Danse started to peruse around the front end of the store, maybe he could find some useful clothes. Winter was just around the corner, so having an extra stockpile was always a smart idea. As he worked his way around the racks he came to a small display case. The case's glass covering was completely coated in dust, impossible to see through. Lifting it proved easy enough since the locking mechanism had rusted off long ago. Inside was a small treasure trove of pre-war jewelry. It wasn’t much value to a junk merchant since high end clientele was rare in their parts. Even so, the pieces were always interesting to look at, so many unique shapes, sizes, and colors.

“I am surprised these caught your eyes.” Cutler whispered as he appeared beside Danse. He had given him a quite a startle, but Danse would take that secret to his grave.

“I know jewelry seems kinda pointless nowadays but back then it was really sought after. People would use jewelry for all kinds of reasons. Some to show status and wealth, other times for more sentimental reasons. Personally those are my favorite stories. Sometimes they would give jewelry to show someone they cared about them, other times as a symbol of a promise made between them.”  Taking another step closer to the case, Cutler was looking for something in particular.

“See those there, those are rings. People used those to show the world they were important to someone. Either in marriage or even as a promise to come back home to them.”

“Wow, I didn’t know you were such a romantic…” Though Danse's tone came off a little too blunt, Cutler knew it was genuine and not malicious.

“ Maybe... I guess. It's just not something we get to have nowadays. Before the Great War they could slow down and focus on things like that. Now, each day is about survival, you could never make such promises. I would love to live in a world like that… maybe one day I can at least have something close. Haha, though I guess that’s grasping at straws…” Cutler said as he ran his figures across some of the rings.

“I don’t know what you romanticize them. They are the primary reason the world is now in such a state…” Danse said as he turned from the case, not interested in remembering those who fucked the world.

“Danse, of course I know that… I am not justifying anything they did to cause the world to go to hell. I am just saying, they took the peaceful part for gruatent. Who is to say I wouldn't have been the same way. It easy for us to look back and call them foolish but most of them lost their lives because of it.”

"How could they go through their life with such ignorance? And if they weren't ignorant, they chose to ignore what was crumbling around them. People like that, couldn't of care that much for one another!" Danse could feel the anger building up. People like that took everything for granted and it blew up in their faces, literally.

"Not all of them were like that, Danse. Just like you and I aren't like Raiders. Even so.... despite what you think of them, the bombs didn't discriminate. Innocent lives were taken just as evil ones were." Cutler pulled away from the case, turning his back to Danse as he began making his way further into the store.

“I am gonna check to see if there is anything of use in the back while we are here. After that, we can head out.” Cutler’s voice steeled as his emotions of excitement seemed to vanish within that moment.

Danse signed, still staring at the rings. He  knew he probably shouldn't have said something like that. To Cutler those little moments were what brought him joy, and to throw harsh reality into his face like that was uncalled for.

 

\---

 

The trip back was almost sickeningly quiet between the two of them. Though Danse wasn’t as much of a talker, they always seemed to find a subject to talk about. Instead Cutler seemed to pay attention to the road more than anything. Once they arrived at Rivet City, Cutler had threw himself straight into opening up shop. He knew being upset with Danse wasn’t going to solve much, but he wasn't thrilled with him for ruining the moment. He could feel himself sighing again. He knew a lot of what Danse said was correct, it just stung hearing it. Hell, he even regrets not taking some the jewelry. Perhaps Danse could of worked the materials into something useful. It would of been a lot more useful than just daydreaming about a lost civilization.

“I’m not sure how you’re gonna sell anything today. All you have been doing is sighing with that somber look on your face.” It was Lucas’s who spoke as she leaned against the front end of his bartering table. She chuckled again as Cutler’s startled look caught hers.

“Wha? Yeah… sorry… my mind is just in a few places at once right now.” Cutler leaned down onto the table pressing his elbows into the grain, his chin now resting upon closed fists. 

“Cap for your thoughts?” She was still smiling as she crossed her arms across her body. Lucas had always been a trusted friend to lean on in situations like these. Cutler had known her since he first moved to Rivet City. Lucas was another orphan like himself so they always seemed to get along well. 

“Well…” He signed again as he sat back onto the old rusted stool at the corner of his booth.

“I’m not really sure what I'm upset about. You know how I can be when it comes to my ‘romanticizing of the past’. I just get lost in it. I know it’s stupid, but I think deep down, Im envious of that life. I know that world wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. I just like to escape the sickening reality of it all.... whether that's pre or post Great War.” Cutler re-adjusted himself as he ran his hand through his hair, pulling some layers from his hair tie.

“ Danse…. he doesn't see it that way. He…”

“He burst your bubble didn’t he? He doesn't have much imagination when it comes to stuff like that. He tends to see the world in such black and white.” Lucas smiled, she knew she hit the nail on the head.

“Yeah, true. But despite his lack of finesse when it comes to crushing someone's fantasies, he  wasn't wrong about them. So many of them were monster or simply chose to ignore it. But... I get it. I get why some of them might of chosen ignorance. Their entire world was facing off in a cold war, one trigger pull away from complete annihilation. What was one man or one family going to do about that? Knowing their world was crumbling, maybe it was all they could do to preserve what happiness they had left.” He was frustrated now, his hands fidgeting with each other as he tries to collect his nerves.

“True. They did fuck this world to high hell and back…. But, that doesn't mean you have to stop seeing the good in them. You are the only one I know who'd take the time to see them as human beings, individuals... not as a heartless hoard. Maybe at the root of it all, that's what fucked them. They stopped seeing each other as kinsmen, brothers and sisters who loved and bleed just like them. All they saw was an enemy. Maybe we should take this chance to start caring about each other more. How does the saying go? ‘Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it’.” Lucas smiled, as Culter chuckled.

“I was the one that taught you that line.”

“Which proved my point even more!” leaning up she straightened out her posture, as she lightly knocks on his counter.

“Why don't you close up shop early and go talk to Danse. I’m sure he didn't mean anything harsh by it. You know him… Dense Danse.”

“Yeah. You’re probably right.”

“Of course I am.” She said with a wink before turning to make her way further into the market.

 

\---

 

Cutler found Danse toiling away at his desk, probably fixing up some of the new pieces they brought back from this morning’s haul. Cutler signed, a small smile curling at the edge of his lips as he reached forward to take hold of his partner’s shoulder.

Surprisingly, he startled Danse as he whipped around to face him. Cutler simply smiled as he put his hands up in a surrendering gesture.

“Sorry Big Guy, I didn’t mean to make ya jump. Figured I’d come back here to check up on you.” Cutler took a few steps backwards to sit on the aged grey couch, his hand raised to pull the power cord of the nearby lantern.

“So, how’s your work going?” He couldn't believe how awkward he was being with Danse right now. Especially after they had become more than just friends. Shifting his weight a few times in his chair, Danse shrugged his shoulders.

“Just some basic repairs and basic restoration projects. Nothing big, just basic… stuff.”

“That’s not suspect at all, Danse.” Cutler chuckled as leaned back further into the couch, extending both arms out across the back cushions.

“I feel like I have caught you with your hand in the cookie jar. I’m not gonna get upset if you wanted to work on weapon mods again. I trust you. I know you’ll get your work done.”

“It’s not that…” Danse sighed in defeat. “I’ve been thinking… about what was said in Fallon’s.”

Cutler gave short huff as he smiled. 

So you have been thinking about that too, huh?” 

Danse gave a weak smile as he nodded. 

“I believe you deserve an apology. I know how much you enjoy the history of those places. I shouldn’t have ruined that for you.”

Still smiling Cutler shook his head.

“You weren’t wrong though, I know why you said it. It can be hard to be in awe of a person who cause so much destruction. I guess that’s all we see nowadays, what they have decimated, but regardless of all that, they were still human. Just like us… and sometimes it's nice to see the good they were able to create as well.” 

Danse’s eyes were now focused intensely on his partner.

“I thought a lot about what you said specifically about the rings. Making those promises to one another not because they had the luxury to… but because they cared enough to. Even in their world people died… they couldn't control their fate anymore than you and I can. Hell, if they could of the Great War would of never happened. Maybe they dared to say and do things we are too scared too.” Danse turned in his chair once more, this time grabbing a small item in his hand. As he turned back around, there on his open palm rested a golden ring.

“I was hoping I could get some more polishing work done on it but, I wanted to give this to you. I want the world to see proof that you have someone who is always thinking of you. No matter where this world takes us, or whatever it throws into our path, I promise to always be on your side.”

Cutler eyes grew wide as he just stared at his partner’s palm, after a few moments his eyes darted up to Danse’s. He was smiling, though a little bit nervously since his partner still hadn’t taken his gift.

“A-and you called me a romantic.” leaning forward, Cutler touches the edges of the ring with his finger tips. His smile grew from ear to ear as he slowly picks up the golden band. At first he tried slipping it onto he left ring finger but it proved to be a little too big, and so the ring found its new home on his middle finger.

Danse chuckled as he gift appeared to be an apparent success. Extending his hands forward he cupped both sides of Cutler’s face, allowing their gaze to softly migrate to one another's. Before anyone could speak, Danse had leaned in, allowing their lips to meld together. If this world never never changed its destructive ways, he would at least live to keep this man safe. That’s what he hoped his promise conveyed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes:
> 
> This chapter was a little odd for me. It was kind of added inbetween the next big jump into the story, The Brotherhood of Steel. Since that’s going to take up a huge chunk of this story, I wanted one more sweet moment in Rivet City life.


	6. Chapter 6

**\- - - Three Years Later - - -**

**May 2275**

 

As the early morning sun pierced through the bedroom porthole, Danse began to stir. It was Sunday morning; the only day of the week he got to sleep instead of waking up hours before dawn. As his eyes slowly adjusted, he tried to stretch but to no avail. Something was weighing him down; leaving him pinned against the mattress. A tired smile turned at the corner of his lips. Danse tried twisting again, this time with a little more vigor hoping this would free himself. Instead of freedom he was greeted by a crazy array of blond bed head, followed by a pair groggy hazel eyes.

“Why are you so bad at sleeping in?” Cutler coiled his arms tighter around Danse’s torso, his chin now perched on his partner’s chest.

Danse chuckled lightly as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“Why do you always complain?” His fingers soon moved to run through Cutler’s unkempt locks. Cutler just mumbled as he retreated back to the warmth of his morning cocoon, buried underneath several layers of sheets. Danse just laughed again, this time allowing himself to close his eyes.

Moments like these were precious to him. It had been a little over three years since he came to live in Rivet City. Life here was hard but he shouldn’t complain. There were plenty of people out in the Wasteland that couldn’t even imagine mornings like these. He was grateful but, saddened at the thought. It had been almost 200 years since the Great War, yet the world was still struggling so much. His mind often dwelled on this subject but what could he do? The sad reality of the matter was, there wasn’t anything that could be done. It  was already hard enough for Cutler and Danse to provide for themselves.

Before he could dive too deep into the thought, a series of small knocks echoed across the front door, jolted him from his guilt filled thoughts. 

“Danse, Cutler, it’s Lucas… Are you two decent?”

Danse tried to adjust, but his captor’s grip only grew tighter.

“Hey, Lucas is at the door. Didn’t you hear?”

“Mmm, she’ll go away. I don’t want to move.” Came a barely audible voice from beneath the bed cocoon.

“Nobody is home!” Cutler yelled at the door. 

Danse just rolled his eyes.

“Well… you can stay here, and I’ll go see what she needs.”

“Danse, you’re missing my point… Ugh… _fine_ …” Reluctantly, Cutler released his hold as he managed to sit up in bed behind Danse. Though he was still not content with the idea of detangling himself from the blankets. Danse just shook his head as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Despite his partner’s objections, at least this provided him with an opportunity to stretch. Working the morning stiffness from his body was always its own reward.

“Just a moment, Lucas.” Danse yelled as he managed to slip on a pair of weather worn blue jeans. Leaning in, he reached for Cutler’s head once more, pulling him in for a quick morning kiss before making his way to the door.

“Danse! Where’s Cutler?!” Lucas said as she burst through the door. Her urgency was so severe, Danse basically had to jump back to avoid her from tripping over him.

“Whoa! What’s with all the commotion so early in the morning? Cutler is still waking up.” With pleading eyes, Danse extended his hand, leading her to the couch. When she took a seat, her knees continues to bounce in excitement, a grin from ear to ear plastered across her lips.

“You should see them! Their presents alone is just so inspiring. They have the most presteine looking power armor I have ever seen! I swear they plucked them right from those old Great War propaganda poster…”

“ Hold on. Who are you talking about?” Danse’s brow furrowed.

“The Brotherhood of Steel. They’re that huge military installment just across the Potomac River.”

Danse knew of the Brotherhood, he had been hearing stories since he first arrived in the Capital Wasteland. They were a military organization born from the remnants of the Pre-War Army. Beyond that, Danse knew very little. Their headquarters, despite being so close, was a place Cutler and him always made an effort to avoid. Much of the gossip brought up about the Brotherhood seem to be mixed. Some spoke of an internal conflict between their ranks, others spoke of their generosity and efforts to help the wasteland. Danse wasn’t sure what was to be trusted so it was best to just steer clear. Plus, their massive stockpile of weaponry was another reason to stay off their radar.

“Why bring them up?” Despite the wariness, Danse was still curious about what triggered Lucas’ early morning excitement involving the Brotherhood.

“They are here! They’re here on a recruitment campaign. I think I am gonna sign up! No, I’m most certainly going to join up! They could always use medical staff, and this could be my only chance to get out!”

“Wait. Slow down. Before you just jump the gun, do you know what you’re completely getting involved in?” Danse had to admit he was intrigued as well but, the rumors shouldn’t be ignored either. Even if they were started with just a grain of truth, Danse wanted to know what that was.

“I knew you’d say something like that, that’s why I came to get you guys. I figured you two would be interested as well. This could be our chance to do something that matters. You could talk to them,  see what they have to say. Doesn't mean you are obligated to enlist… but deep down I feel like this is right!” Lucas beamed.

 Danse could tell she was pretty committed to the idea. As he contemplated, an arm came up behind him, wrapping around his chest in a brief squeeze before resting along the back of his shoulders.

“I say we check it out. Lucas is right, this could be the chance we have been looking for.” Cutler announced in a sleep laced voice. He’d emerged from his sleepy roost wrapped in a single sheet. Not quite in a modest enough mood to put on pants for Lucas.

“Well, how about you two get fully dressed and I’ll meet you guys out front. They have set up in a vacant room just across the market.” Lucas laughed as she gestured to Cutler’s complete ensemble.

 

\---

 

Danse had to admit, their presentation was impressive to say the least. He had always been impressed by pre-war weaponry and armor, but Power Armor was in a class all its own. It was exactly like Lucas said, The Brotherhood looked like prestein relics of the past . At the center of the room, three massive polished steel suits stood before their audience, each housing a commanding officer of the Brotherhood. It was almost daunting. Judging from their armor markings and professionalism, two of the men seemed to be lower ranking officers. As for the third…

“Citizens! My name is Paladin Krieg, and we are representative from the Brotherhood of Steel. We come here in peace, so have no fear. I have come with an offer. A chance of a lifetime to serve something greater than yourself.”

“Why come to Rivet City to recruit? Why bother with folks like us?” It was Lucas’ voice which broke the crowds mumbling chatter. Considering her excitement from earlier, Danse figured she’d had already thrown her hat into the ring. So he was a bit surprised by the question. 

“Fair question. Why not folks like you? Do you not have a fire in your hearts to see a better world?  We strive to prevent the atrocities of the past from repeating themselves, it is the very blood that fuels our passion. The Brotherhood of Steel has pledged to accomplish this through the acquisition of technology. By collecting significant technologies, we one, prevent them from making their way into the wrong hands… and two, we can make sure they are only used to benefit mankind as a whole. Taking that a step further, the Eastern Chapter has sworn an oath to serve and protect the citizens of the Capital Wasteland.” The Paladin paused for a minute, taking in the collect of people before him. 

“Instead of wasting away with such a mundane existence, don’t you want to fight for something better?” Despite the Paladin’s voice being partly concealed by the helmet voice modulator, pride and authority seemed to ooze from every word.

Danse, Cutler, and Lucas could all feel the allure fluttering in their chests. Whether they were going to buy the pitch or not, they couldn’t deny it. All they ever wanted was to find a greater purpose for their lives, to feel like they were actually making a difference.

Danse was stuck at a crossroads, In his head he was pouring over the options. The Paladin had given him plenty to think about, but he wasn’t sure if this was an opportunity he wanted to overthink. Taking a look at Lucas, she had already moved to talked to one of the Brotherhood members not dressed in power armor, a medical scribe. Apparently her mind was made. When Danse glance over at Culter, he had already been staring at him. 

Cutler’s eyes were studying him, he could tell Danse was weighing his options carefully. It would of been uncharacteristic of Danse otherwise. This caused Cutler to smile.

“With such seriousness all the time, I am pretty sure you’re going to be stuck with this furrowed brow your entire life.” Cutler snickered once more as he caught Danse’s attempt to relax his face.

“It’s a serious decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

“Of course not but, deep down you already know your choice… don’t you?”

Danse finally smiled as he nodded to Cutler’s assumption. Cutler knew him well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes:  
> Sorry for such a short chapter. RL kinda got crazy and I hit writer's block. I figure I should release what I had. I apologize guys.
> 
> Brotherhood of Steel Note:  
> So I talked to a few people on the canon regarding the BOS stance on same sex partnerships. It is known that the western branch has an intolerance towards it. The main reasons being they aren't ones to accept outsiders, this leads them to basically mandate their members to reproduce. They never pressure anyone into serving, but they believe growing up in the BOS would prove to be enough of a persuasion to keep them. 
> 
> The Eastern branch is different. It's definitely canon they have very different ideals from their western brethren so, I have decided to build my head canon from that. For starters, they actively recruit. This is proven when Danse states he was recruited in Rivet City (it's also seen when they recruit the Sole Survivor either at Danse's direct hand or by the BOS guard's suggestion at the Airport). This mean their members aren't pressured into breeding for them. The Eastern branch is about protecting and serving the people so, they would cherish all families. I believe this acceptance extends across Owyn's, Sarah's, and Maxson's reigns.


	7. Chapter 7

**\- - - Six  Weeks Later - - -**

**July 2275**

 

Fatigue had seeped into every muscle of Danse’s body. Even his eyes struggled to stay focused; blurred vision plagued his consciousness. The only redeeming quality of such weariness was his sense of accomplishment. He had just completed his first major reconnaissances mission for the Brotherhood of Steel, only six weeks after joining into their ranks. His squads deployment orders came as a result of several Super Mutant rumors flooding in from the southern border. Naturally, the Brotherhood wanted to investigate. So they marched, heading for the southern lands near Richmond; where most of the rumors had been isolated too. 

Danse’s had been placed under the command of Paladin Krieg, the leader of their eight man squad. As a newly appointed Aspirant, he was the lowest ranking member of the group. Besides Paladin Krieg, he served under four Knights and two Senior Scribes. Even as “civilian” roles, they still held rank over him. It wasn’t a walk in the park by any means but Danse felt lucky. He respected all of his superiors immensely.

Knight Callaway, was second in command to Paladin Krieg. He was technically a Knight-Commander and a seven year veteran of the force. He was somewhat famous for being a hotshot in the Brotherhood. Despite being a seasons veteran his bullheaded opinions and trigger happy tendencies were holding him back.

Knight-Sergeant Velvet, had been recruited from the Wasteland two years before Danse. Another orphan of the Waste. She was a promising young Knight and an excellent shot to boot. She was the only one in her class to get a Hawkeye, or a 40 out of 40 on her marksmanship qualification. A skill she took a lot of pride in.

Knight Rizzo, was a bit of a quiet one, and his social skills were pretty much non-existent. He wasn’t someone who desired to stand out too much, mostly kept to himself when off-duty. Danse liked to peg it as he wasn't good at expressing his emotions. Perhaps his social distance is what made him level headed and unbiased in most situations. Despite this demeanor, Rizzo was extremely efficient at following orders.

If Knight Rizzo was one side of the coin, Knight Eriks was the opposite. He was loud and easily distracted, and always seemed to be at the center of some scandal. He definitely wore his heart on his sleeve, and sometimes let his emotions get the best of him. Such passion was admirable at times, but it was a razors edge into dangerous. Paladin Krieg liked to partner Rizzo and Eriks together. As odd as the pairing seemed, it worked really well for the two. Rizzo seemed to be social around Eriks and Eriks shenanigans seemed to be lessened. 

As for the two Scribes, Devanson and Smith, Danse wasn’t very familiar with them. They mostly kept to themselves throughout the mission. Scribes were generally assigned to each Recon Squad by the Head Scribe. These individuals depended on the needs and purpose of each mission.

Falling back against his cot, Danse closed his eyes. Despite being moments away from falling asleep, he couldn’t help but smile when thinking back to his mission. They had taken out an installment of about twenty Super Mutants, with very little loss to resources and nothing more than a few minor flesh wounds. On top of that, they were able to collect on a major ammo cash inside their hideaway. It was everything he could have hoped for and more. He couldn’t wait to tell Cutler, but of course that would have to wait. Sleep was demanding its comeuppance.

A clearing voice startled him awake, instantly flooding him with a surge of adrenaline. Danse sprung up, standing at attention to his Paladin, who was now only a few feet in front of him.

“Sir!” Danse’s voice echoes across the barracks, Thankfully he was the only one trying to sleep at this hour.  

“Follow me Aspirant.” Paladin Krieg’s voice was deep and demanding. Within a moment Danse had fallen inline behind his superior. Not a word was said between them as they made their way up to Paladin Krieg’s quarters. Entering the office, Krieg gestured Danse to stand at the head of his desk, as he made his way to the other end. 

“I wanted to go over my thoughts on your mission performance.” As he spoke, he took a seat behind the desk, he shuffled through a few reports.

“Sir?” Danse questioned cautiously. They had just returned from a debriefing only a few minutes before Danse returned to the barracks. The Paladin hasn’t said he needed anything else, It’s why he was allowed to return to his bunk in the first place.

“I wanted to go over it with you personally, since this was your first time out in the field.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I am assigning you to three extra round of marksmanship classes each week. I want you to start shadowing under Knight Velvet for these sessions. Second, I am going to have you work Military Tactics and Strategies with Knight-Commander Callaway. Finally, I want Senior Scribe Ingram to go over your weapon mods. They aren’t regulation, therefore not approved. I need her to make a final inspection if you plan on taking them out again. I have outlined a schedule for you to meet Knight Velvet and Knight-Commander Callaway on this itinerary. I want you to meet with Scribe Ingram after this meeting. Understood?” Krieg demanded as he tossed a manila folder across the desk towards his subordinate.

“Yes, Sir.” Danse straightened his shoulder even more as he answers his CO’s demands.

“Then you are dismissed.” Paladin Kriegs eyes shifted back to the paperwork before him. His eyes never meetDanse again.

 

\---

 

Danse’s mind was racing, playing over every moment of the mission as he made his way down to the Citadel’s laboratory, rifle in hand. He pondered over what he could have possibly done to warrant retraining. He was a decent shot, in fact he had scored 39 out of 40 on his marksman qualification. The only reason he didn't get a perfect score was he hadn’t fired a non- laser rifle weapon in years. Despite the Brotherhoods primary weapon of choice being Laser rifles. They still conducted the test with .556 ammo; it was easier to hone in on fire accuracy. Most Wastelanders, with the acception of Velvet and himself, averaged in the upper 20s. So this was impressive to say the least.

As for the strategy training, Danse had always prided himself on his tactical awareness. It was something he even scored high levels of comprehension on during their preliminary training. Some of the Scribes had even complimented him on his skills. To train under the Knight-Commander who was all ‘fire now, think later’ was almost insulting. Taking a deep breath, Danse let out a long drawn out sigh. He needed to hold back his dark thoughts. He should be grateful for the opportunities. Still, it stung. He thought the mission had been so successful. Another sigh slipped from his lips as he made his way into the laboratory.

“Better not let the Paladin hear you sighing like that.” a young female voice called from behind a cluttered workstation.

“Yes, ma’am! Sorry, Ma’am!” Danse belted as he was startled into standing at attention. 

“Ha ha ha, at ease soldier. I’m just a Scribe no need to sweat through your skivvies.” A laughed followed as a petite figure moved from behind the station. It was Senior Scribe Igram. She was younger than Danse imagined, for a Senior. He would guess she was maybe only a few years older than him. Then again, there were children who were already studying to join their ranks. Ingram had deep red hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail, or maybe it had become disheveled while working. There was grease smudges all over her face and uniform, a sign of her determined work ethic. 

“Paladin Krieg sent word I should be expecting you today. Though by the look for ya, It doesn’t look like he allowed you any rest before hand.”

“It’s not a problem ma’am. Paladin Krieg prioritized this task for me first.”

“Ya know, you don’t need to push yourself so hard. I understand wanting to be a good soldier, but pushing yourself to the point where a stiff wind could knock ya down, isn't the way to do it. Even the Elder knows pushing your men too far has consequences.” Ingram just studied him for a moment. He looked like a mess. Dark circles sat deep under his eyes only to be complimented by pale almost sickly colored skin.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“She wasn’t kidding, huh? … Dense Danse.” she sighed as she waved him over to meet her at the workstation.

“She? Eh, uhm.... Ma’am?”

“Scribe Lucas. You guys were recruited together, weren't you? She talks about you a lot.” Taking the rifle from his hands, she placed it on the bench, and started to take apart his capacitor modification.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Danse’s eyes shifted to study her hands. He could feel a twinge of panic in his chest. He didn’t like the idea of someone else tinkering with his weapon.

“Wow… They were right! You are good.” Ingram was now studying his handiwork through an eye loupe. “Both Scribe Lucas and Paladin Krieg said your work was impressive. Your boosted photon agitator is impressive, especially for a wastelander. I’d say you even had potential to be on my level one day.”

Danse’s eyes shot up. He was taken off guard. Ingram could tell he was taken back, and let out a series of small giggles.

“He wanted to make sure the construction of all of your modifications were sound, also figured Id be impressed. Which I'll admit, I am. How about I you lend me your rifle a little bit. I promise I won't change anything around. Just figured while I'm going over the Paladin's checklist, you can get some much needed rest.”

“I’ll be alright, Ma’am.” Danse replied.

“Don’t make me give you an order…” She smiled.

"Scribe or not, I still hold rank over you!" Danse returned the smile and nodded before giving her a salute. He could practically hear his bed calling his name from here.

 

\---

 

When Danse woke up, it was the early morning hours. He had slept nearly fourteen hours after returning to his bunk. He didn’t realize how tired his body really was. Thankfully today was his first day off after working nine straight days in a row.

The sky was teetering on the cusp of a deep Prussian blue, the early signs the sun was moving to pierce the horizon in an hour or so. It was peaceful. Danse wondered if this is what pre-war mornings were like. Regardless, it was simply calming to just sit outside the barracks, drinking a fresh cup of coffee. It was about 0400 hours so others would be getting up soon to start their day. So for the moment, he just enjoyed the quiet. He wished he could share this moment with Cutler but he didn't want to wake him, figured he should get as much rest as he could. 

Suddenly, breaking into his moment of serenity, a loud crash came from one of the small storage units located between the barracks. Setting his coffee down, Danse moved to check it out. He didn’t have his rifle with him, but luckily he had his combat knife tucked away in his boot. Moving into position, Danse could see a small figure foraging around in a pile of debris. 

“An intruder? How did they get past the security?” He could hear himself whispering to himself. With a slow inhale his moved around the corner, pressing his knife against the intruder’s back.

 “Drop any weapons and stand up.” Danse said in a stearn booming voice. The figure was startled, as a visible jump rippled over the small figure. The figure stood up, dropping all of its possessions with a second loud clash.

“Now take three steps backwards and move away from the supplies.” The figure complied, and Danse moved to turn on the lights.

“Now, turn around slowly.” As the figure turned around, Danse had realized it was a young boy. Upon further inspection he noticed he was dressed in a Brotherhood Squire’s uniform. Danse lowered his knife. 

“A Squire? What are you doing in here at this hour, on top of that… why are you in the dark?” Danse tried to hold his stern tone but could feel the grip lighten.

“I- I was… I was looking for some parts.” The boy stuttered at first but soon his demeanor sharpened when he realized he was only dealing with an Aspirant. 

“I wasn’t stealing anything either. I have a right to be here! D-do you have clearance to be here?”

“You do realize the barracks are right next door, and you weren't exactly subtle with your supplies acquisition. What kind of reaction did you expect?” Danse put away his knife as the lightened his tone even more. He figured the squire had seen his shoulder rank patch by now. 

“W-well… good job then. You may return to the barracks, Aspirant.” The young boy announced as he started to straighten his uniform. It was still clear he was nervous.

 “Last time I checked, _Squire_ , Aspirant still outranks you. So I suggest you show your respect. So, why were you looking for parts at four in the morning?” Danse asked as he furrowed his brow.

 “Y-yes sir. I was looking for a new rifle grip, sir. I wanted to impress Sarah… I mean… Sentinel Lyons, with the new rifle I have been working on.” The boy’s attitude adjusted appropriately although Danse could tell his cheeks were stained red with embarrassment.

“I see. What’s your name by the way? I am Aspirant Jonathan Danse.” Danse smiled as he extended his hand to the boy.

“Arthur, Squire Arthur Maxson.” The boy said with a new found pride as he took his hand. Danse had heard of the boy, he was an heir to the Maxson legacy. The last of his kind as it stood.

“Well, I am afraid there isn’t anything like that in this storage depot… but, if you keep it between us. I have an extra left over.  I removed it from my standard issue, when I decided to go with the one I had made myself.” Danse smiled.

“You _made_ your own?” The boy looked up to Danse, now starry eyed. Danse laughed as he crouched down to help clean up the warehouse mess.

“I did. Maybe I could teach you, but first… how about we tackle this mess?”

Arthur smiled from ear to ear as he nodded vigorously in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes:  
> I kinda touched base on this in my last chapter notes but, I wanted Danse and Cutler’s relationship to be welcomed by the BOS. It’s definitely something that was known by the higher ups from the beginning (they came as a packaged deal). So I am going to have the BOS handle their relationship the same way I know the Army to handle married couples. It allows them to serve at the same bases but they aren’t allowed to serve in the same units or under the same Commanding Officers. I am not sure if it is 100% canon but per the Fallout Wiki, Cutler and Danse both served under Paladin Krieg. I decided to have only Danse serve under him. So that’s a little bit of an alteration I made. 
> 
> Story Notes:  
> Starting the BOS chapters has been tough for me. For starters, Fallout 3 isn’t a game I am extremely familiar with. I only really ever played it when it came out (ten years ago), and it isn’t something that has captured my interest enough to pick up again. I have done some refresher research on wiki and what not but, I always find my best source is just playing the game constantly.
> 
> With that said, that has also supported my decision to not touch base on a lot of the events or characters of FO3. Krieg, Danse, and Cutler were never mentioned in the FO3 game. They were all introduced (either featured or mentioned) in Fallout 4. So I believe that supports the idea that they didn't work alongside those events or people. As far as my story goes, the whole Lone Wanderer plot line does not exist. (I am pawning off any of the LW's accomplishments on the BOS).


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW in this chapter. Yeah...

“Whatcha got there?” Cutler practically announced as he strolled into the mess hall to see Danse perched to the windowsill. He was quietly tucked away cradling something dear in his hands.

 “Hmm?” Danse peered up in a startled daze—he had been caught off guard. A rare occurrence, which peaked Cutler's interest even more. When Danse went to adjusted himself, Cutler could see he was holding an old book in his hands.

“Must be a good book, if its got you so engrossed. Wait… Is it naughty? Awww, are you reading porn without me?” Cutler smirked as he slid into the space next to his partner.  Danse frowned and he shook his head before returning his attention back to his book.

“It’s a pre-war dictionary. I got it as a thank you gift from Squire Maxson. I offered my assistance in the construction of his new rifle.” Danse smiles as he ran his fingers alone the binding in fond remembrance.

“He’s a pretty bright kid.”

“Well, can’t be too bright if he gave you a dictionary as a gift. Even more of a weird point—who reads a dictionary?” Cutler tilted his head, trying to mimic a puppy’s expression of curiosity before retreating to settle in deeper into the windowsill. Obviously not content with sitting still, Cutler’s hand soon snaked it way around his partner, taking hold of his waist and pulling his body in close. His chin now coming to rest on Danse’s left shoulder, trying to see if perhaps he could understand his fascination.

Danse just rolled his eyes.

“I am not reading it to pass the time. In the time since the bombs fell… our people have lost so much of who we were, even small things such as words have been forgotten. Take this word for example, Picnic: ‘an outing or occasion that involves taking a packed meal to be eaten outdoors’. Could you even say you've ever done something like that? Apparently this is was something they just did—without fear of dangers from the outside world.” Danse had a new sparkle in his eye as he started to flip through the pages again.

 “...Or this word, congruent, which has two meanings. It can mean either ‘in agreement or harmony’… or it can mean: ‘of figures, identical in form; coinciding exactly when superimposed’. Ah, and that word… superimposed. I should look that up too.”

 “Alright, alright… your point has been made, sir.” Cutler chuckles as he retreats with his hands up in a surrendering gesture.

 “I get it. You wanna learn about our past while simultaneously becoming a walking dictionary.”

 Danse just scowled as Cutler leaned his head against his lover’s back.

“I can feel your scowl through your shoulder blades.” Cutler chuckled once more as he closed his eyes.

 “You were the one who inspired such inquiries. Looking into the past to learn… remember?” Danse voice was low, he could feel Cutler’s heat soaking into him.

 “I know… i’m just teasing you….” Cutler’s words trailed off.  He had missed this. It had been a long time since the two of them had gotten any alone time together. Danse was quite the prodigy when it came to the Brotherhood of Steel. From day one, Paladin Krieg saw something in him. He even seemed to keep an extra eye on him after their first few weeks of preliminary training. Danse was even picked to take part in Krieg’s mission to the Super Mutant installment. Something virtually unheard of for an Aspirant. There were even talks he would make it to the rank of Knight before six months were up. Another unheard or feat. Cutler had always known his lover was meant for greatness but he had to admit, he was nervous he might get left behind. Not that Danse would do so on purpose, Cutler just didn't want to be someone who held him back. 

His fingers subconsciously caressing the rim of his ring. His ring now hung from a leather cord around his neck. The Brotherhood wasn’t a fan of displayed jewelry. Though Cutler was pretty sure he was the only one with such a thing.Even so, he didn't mind the change up. At least this way he could tuck it away against his dog dogs. Only letting it out for moments like this.

Unlike the new star pupil, Cutler's accomplishments were a lot more subtle to say the least. Posted to guard duty mostly. He had gone on one tech recon mission, but it was very low key and nothing of significance was recovered. Cutler was a great shot, especially with a sniper rifle in hand but apparently the Brotherhood wanted more than just that.

Cutler tended to question orders a little more than the average joe. He cared a lot about the people of the Wasteland. He wanted to make sure any orders he carried out were in the best interest of the people. While it fit into Elder Lyons’ version of the order, it didn't always fit into the ideals of the direct men he served under. Most of these soldiers valuing the ideals of the Western branch more. Having so much passion and heart got him a reputation. Unfortunately it got him passed up for a lot of great opportunities. Danse often advised him to stop being so stubborn about the issues and unfortunately these opinions caused a small rift between the two men. They both believed in helping people, and there was no doubt about that. It was just the way both felt that should be carried out. Danse believed in the strict Martial Law type environment, whereas Cutler believed each voice should be treated equally.

“Hey, you have that look again…” Danse stated as he broke Cutler’s inner thoughts. Cutler hadn’t even realized Danse had turned, his cheek now coming to rest on his shoulder.

“Yeah… sorry. Just thinking.” Cutler mumbled, his eyes slowly opening as he continued to fidget with his ring.

Danse could see him fidgeting. He knew Cutler well enough to know this meant his thoughts were going dark. Turning around slowly he kissed the top of Cutler’s head, his palms coming up to tenderly caress his shoulders. He should probably change the subject.

“So what did you want to do today? I’ll let you pick. Anything you want.” He whispered against blond locks. They were a lot shorter than Danse was used to, perhaps even liked. When set loose, Cutler's locks once fell just below his collarbone. Nows, his hair barely rose above Danse’s fingers as they combed through.

“I am alright. There’s nothing you need to go outta your way for. I figured you’d probably be pretty tired. We can just relax... Hell, we can even read more of your dictionary if you like… Perhaps I'll look for all the forgotten _dirty_ words.” Cutler raised his brow in a lewd gesture, as a smirk curled at the corner of his lips.

Suddenly, mouths crashed together.

It was unexpected.

Cutler could feel himself jump at first, but was quickly soothed by the feeling of Danse’s passion. Cutler’s arms wrapped around his lover’s lower waste, pulling him close as his kisses hungry push forward. It was a tug-of-war of fueled by desire. Such a sudden burst of passion from both parties would normally surprise him but his growing hunger was blurring any lines of overthinking such a moment. 

A slight tug caused their lips to part. The separation was slight, as they could still feel each other's breath. Soon a smirk blooming across Danse's full lips. His eyes shifting, gesturing to a small storage closet a few feet behind them.

“I am surprised at you…”  Cutler managed to whisper before being pinned against the windowsill. A trail of kisses making their way down across his jawline, and into the nook of his neck. This was uncharacteristic for Danse…but that seemed to be the theme here. No matter, Cutler didn't want to focus on that, his thoughts felt better lost in this euphoric haze. They meandered through an intoxicated plague of grabbing and kissing, making their way into the storage closet.

Cutler’s back collided with a bare section of the wall along the furthest end of the closet. His head rolled back with a small thud. Danse’s nibbles returning to the curve of Cutler’s neck, as his hand pulling at the zipper of Cutler's orange flight suit. The zipper's trail lead a shiver down Cutler's chest, he could feel his manhood tingle in anticipation. Large palms stripped the suit from his chest, exposing a refined set of abs. Brown orbs locked with a set hazel from underneath a pair of thick dark eyebrows, as another elusive smirk made its way across his lips. Cutler was turning into mush in his hands.

Kneeling before his lover, Danse’s kisses move to the sensitive skin above his groin. His hands continue to peel Cutler's suit away, catching the elastic of his briefs. As he fingers twitched at the thought of what he was about to expose, his lover’s own reaction became apparent. His shaft pulling the fabric of his briefs forward as beads of precum dampened the cloth. Cutler closed as his eyes as his knees began to shuttered. Danse’s fingers tug once more, exposing his cock with an eager spring. Without missing a beat, Danse took the tip of his shaft in his mouth. His right hand working along the base as his lips create a suction seal against the head. His tongue lapping up any remaining beads of precum. Producing a deep humming from his throat, Danse thrusted his mouth down against his shaft, letting his lips squeeze against the base. His beard teasing the sensitive flesh. Releasing a second hum, he found pleasure in feeling his lover’s thighs clench, as rich moans poured from his lips. Pulling back slightly he continued his assault. His hand moving to cup Cutler’s balls slowly rolling them in his palm. A delicious drawn out moan erupted from his lover as he plunged against his cock once more. This time opening his throat more, allowing his dick to penetrate deeper as he continued thrusting rhythm. The rhythm was driving Cuter mad as his knees grew weaker.It had been so long since they shared a moment like this and Cutler's endurance, or lack thereof was becoming evident. He could feel the orgasm closing in on him.

 Deciding to tease him even more,  Danse sucked harder as he continued his motions.  This was a pivoting point. Cutler’s hips started to thrust deeper and harder into Danse’s mouth, his hands clawing at the roots of Danse’s hair.

 “D… Danse… I-I am gonna…” a moan finishing his sentence.

Danse’s lips followed down along Cutler’s shaft. He could feel the pulsations of his member grows fierce as the veins in his cock started to swell, a clear sign he was about to erupt. Cutler’s clawing hands dug at the back of Danse’s skull as they rammed his head deep against his cock. Danse’s lips now flush with his flesh. His hips shuttered as cum surged down his lover’s throat. He quickly bit his lower lip, as an attempt to smother his moans as he released. Danse swallowed with a new found sparkle in his eyes.

Releasing his partner’s cock, his tongue passed one last time along the head. His last lewd gesture before pulling back on his knees, and wiping the corner of his lips.

Cutler had to call on all kinds of strength to prevent himself from crumbling to the ground. He wanted to just bathe in the post orgasm bliss. He did manage to tuck himself back into his briefs, though the determination wasn't quite there yet to fix his uniform. He smiled weakly as his eyes met Danse’s. Their foreheads meeting in as a few breathy laughs pass between them.

 Cutler reached for Danse’s zipper but in that same moment voices could be heard booming on the other side of the door.

 “Damn it.” Cutler whispered under his breath.

 Danse just chuckled again as he kissed Cutler’s temple.

 “I'll distract them for a bit while you recuperate in here. Give me about 10 minutes and then peek your head out to see if it’s clear.” Cuter wanted to protest but he knew getting caught would have severe consequences. Danse was just in his hast.

Cutler nodded as he leaned in to kiss Danse on the cheek.

“I am sorry I couldn’t return the favor before getting... interrupted…”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take a rain check.” He winked as he stood up.

“I love you.” Cutler said those words so casually he didn't realize they had slipped out at first. That was the first time he had ever said those words. He was pretty sure the feelings had been implied for some time now, but so far the words had gone unspoken. His cheeks burned with realization. He was blushing. That was another first… or at least something that hadn't happened in any recent memories. Danse took noticed and without missing a beat, a large smile plastered across Danse’s cheeks.

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha... so yeah.... NSFW. So for starters, its been a really long time since I wrote any so forgive me for that. Second, I know I expressed not being interested in NSFW for the boys... but thanks to one of my readers, I kind of got a new perspective on that. So yeah... there you have it.


	9. Chapter 9

**\- - - August  2277 - - -**

 

The past few years for the Brotherhood of Steel had been chaotic to say the least. There has always been a divide within the ranks. Those who valued the traditional Western views of the Brotherhood, and those who stayed true to the Brotherhood established by Elder Lyons. This past year finally brought forth a breaking point when the traditionalist decided to break off into their own faction, the Brotherhood Outcasts. Though their leader, Henry Casdin, a former Paladin, still believed he was being loyal to the founding codes of the Brotherhood, it was still considered treason to revolt against your Elder. There were proper protocols to challenge a Elder's authority and mutiny wasn't one of them. Especially after taking valuable technology and resources with you.

This split had hit Danse especially hard, many of his like minded brothers and sisters had chosen to stand with the Outcast. These were men and women he had fought alongside, and now they were considered enemies. Even his  former Squadmates, Callaway, Rizzo, and Eriks all deserted the Brotherhood of Steel. Callaway had been sour about Velvet and Danse both achieving the rank of Paladin before him. He was one of the highest ranking officers under Henry Casdin to abandon their pledge.

The divide had significantly cut down on their numbers, forcing the Elder’s hand to spread their remaining loyal forces pretty thin.  There was also the need to acquire new resources and equipment. Danse had been assigned to head south on such an assignment. This time with his own squad. As for Cutler, he had been promoted to Knight and reassigned to Paladin Krieg’s squad.

To add insult to injury, the tensions between the Enclave had also increased. The Brotherhood had been fighting a war on all fronts.

 

\---

 

Unfortunately it had been two months since Danse was deployed south. Cutler couldn’t help but feel lonely, this was the first time in their relationship the two of them have been away from each other for so long. Of course they have both been away on deployments before, but nothing more then a few weeks.

“MAIL CALL!” boomed a familiar voice from behind him. Cutler smile as he turned around to greet a cheeky Rochelle Lucas, grinning that evil grin of hers.

“Why do you look like the cat that just ate the canary?”

Lucas just rolled her eyes at his quirky expression.

“Cutler, you know no one gets your pre-war phrases... Anyways… Something came for you today…” She started to wave a small folded piece of paper in front of his chest, her smirk growing wicked once more. “It looks to be from your  _ man   _ …”

Cutler’s eyes shot up in shock. This was the  first letter he’d received in the two months since Danse’s departure. He put his hand out, pleading with his eyes. He’d normally add a quirky or smartass quip, but all he could think about was the letter.

Lucas could see the desperation in his eyes and decided not to torment him any further. She handed it over to him with a genuine smile. He unfolded the paper as he fumbled back to take a seat on his bed. He didn't want to take his eyes off of it, even to make sure he could secure a seat safely.

~

_ Cutler,  _

_ How are you? How has your reassignment with Paladin Krieg been? I know he can be tough, but he holds the values of the Brotherhood in the highest regard. I know that doesn’t exactly breed comfort in you. I  know his strict tone will test your temperament but, I implore you to give his command a chance. I owe a lot of who I have become in the Brotherhood to him. Besides, we don’t have many men like him left. I know you have it in you to flourish under his command.  I believe in you. You will just have to dig a little deeper, or a lot deeper, but it's there.  _

**Cutler couldn't tell if Danse was serious or not with that last line. Danse was bad with sarcasm.**

_ I apologize for not being able to write sooner. The mission had become more complicated than we originally predicted.  As you know, our original objective was a tech retrieval from a pre-war power armor assembly plant. Of course such a prize wouldn’t be unguarded. I guess that’s what you get when you reply on caravan information. They probably gave the intel out to anyone willing to pay some caps for the it. Anyways, a rather large band of Raiders has secured themselves inside rather successfully. We have launched a few small decoy assaults to draw out their numbers. We seemed to be pretty evenly matched but, one should never underestimate their enemy. For now, we are going to stick to intel recon till we recover more information.  _

_ With that said, I am impressed with what my squad has accomplished here so far. After only a few minor deployments together, they work well as a team. Knight-Sergeant Dawes has proven to be a very capable second. Unfortunately I can not giving out too much information, in case this missive gets intercepted, but I am proud of him. All of my team in fact. Knight Branch, Knight Keane, Knight Worwick, and even that new Aspirant Rhys. He’s definitely going to need to adjust his attitude but, I see a great deal of potential in him. Imagine… a soldier who likes to talk back to his superior officer.  _

**Cutler chuckled. So Danse was trying his hand at sarcasm.**

_ Anyways, It’s best I wrap this up. We have a full plate ahead of us. Ad Victoriam.  _

_ I love you. Never forget.  _

_ Jon Danse  _

_ ~  _

Cutler could feel his chest fluttering as he read the last lines of the letter a few extra times. True, it wasn’t as good as hearing that deep raspy voice say it... but, he could almost hear it if he closed his eyes. A silly grin was now in full bloom across his lip. He could hear Lucas giggling behind him.

“Hey now, let me have my moment!” Cutler demanded as he pulled the note to his chest.

“Haha, I am not saying anything bad. It’s sweet. Y’all are basically an old married couple at this point.” Lucas chuckled as she leaned against the door frame. Her arms crossed before her. Cutler took a moment to look at her. It really had been a long time.  A long time for everything really. It had been a little over five years since he first met Danse in Marketplace. It had been even longer since he'd first met Lucas. He met her probably around eight years ago when he'd made his way to Rivet City, after his parent’s deaths.

There were subtle hints she was aging, a few grey hairs now trickled through her raven locks. She also wore glasses now. Though Cutler wasn’t sure whether that was out of necessity or to complete her distinguished look. She was a Senior Scribe now. After years of studied under Knight-Captain Cade, a highly respected Medical Officer for Brotherhood, she had finally obtained a rank which garnered the respect she always deserved.

“So, lover boy… are you gonna write him back?” Lucas smirked.

“Naturally.” Cutler said as he retreated to his desk with a nod. As much as the letter meant to him, he was sure Danse would feel the same receiving one from him.

 

\---

 

Danse sat by the fire, watching the embers crackle and dissipate into the smoke. He was thinking. Their final assault on the installation was brutal. Though they came out victorious and with casualties, that didn’t go without injuries. Knight Worwick had suffered a severe blow to the head. Beyond a nasty concussion, Danse was relatively certain he’d be okay in the long run. Didn't mean he was going to take his eyes off of him anytime soon though.

Knight-Sergeant Dawes, suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh. He was lucky it missed his femoral artery but it was still a grave wound. None of his men walked away without at least minor wounds. So, despite the victory, Danse made the call to head back to the Citadel. Taking only what they were able to carry or pack up onto the backs of their Brahmin. The haul was bigger than they had anticipated. Which made his choice to have the remaining technology and equipment destroyed even more upsetting. But the code needed to be upheld—above all else, technology needed to be protected from falling into the wrong hands.

They were about a week’s journey away from the Citadel when they decided to stop at a small outpost. It was a small trading town, Danse had traveled here several times in the past. Cutler and him made it mandatory to stop there whenever they were in the area scouting for junk.

Danse even made it appoint to stop there on their way down to the assembly plant, he guessed old habits die hard. So in the habit of tradition, he figured he might as well do the same on the way home. He even decided to splurge and pay for some room at the local tavern for his men. Not something Danse normally believed in doing—spending time outdoors always help build survival skills. But after everything that happened, he figured they deserved something more than sleeping in foxholes.

Danse had parked himself on a worn couch in the main gathering room of the tavern. It wasn’t anything impressive but it was comfortable and warm, courtesy of a wood burning stove a few feet in front of him.

“Paladin Danse, how are you feeling, Sir?” Came a voice behind him. Danse slowly turned as his left hand reached across his chest, clenching his lower abdomen. It was hard to turn otherwise. Danse had a rather close call, taking a missile to the chest from only a few meters away. Thankfully he was wearing his power armor. Unfortunately, the blast had left him with a dinner plate sized bruise across his abs, a couple of broken ribs, and an ugly laceration he was sure to get a grumpy look from Cutler about.

It was Aspirant Rhys’s voice that broke his trance. “The clerk at the front desk said he knew you. He said this letter came for you the day before last. Said the sender knew you would be stopping by here at some point.”

A crooked smile parted his lips as he thought of Cutler, he knew the old habit wouldn't die. The smile seemed to shock the young Aspirant as his eyes widened in surprise. Danse cleared his throat as he took the letter from his subordinate.

“I am fine, Aspirant. You are dismissed… and uh, thank you for the letter.”

The young soldier nodded before saluting and heading towards their rented rooms. Danse unfolded the letter. It was Cutler’s hand writing for sure. He was not only grateful for such a treat but its timing. His injuries plagued him, and it was hard to think of anything else. This would be a nice distraction for the time being.

_ ~  _

_ Danse,  _

_ I received your letter yesterday. Well, I am guessing it's several weeks by the time you receive this. I hope all is well. I understand your reasoning for the secrecy. So i'll keep all the pestering for when you get back.  _

_ Things with Paladin Krieg are going well. You are right, he is a good leader even if we do butt heads sometimes. Well, okay, most of the time. The important thing is, he knows I respect him and I am prepared to follow him anywhere.  _

_ With that said… There is some news I need to share with you. Something you’re probably not gonna like to hear while you are away but, I have to tell you anyways.  _

_ The tension between the Brotherhood and the Enclave are starting to get pretty heated. Kind of like your letter, I can’t give too much information away, but by the time you get this, the Brotherhood will have already taken action.  _

_ I wish I could tell you everything, and I wish I could have fought by your side. For the glory of the Brotherhood   _ —   _ guns blazing like those old American Western stories you like to read. Anyways… I just want you to know… Regardless of what goes down   _ —   _ I love you very much. Forever and always.  _

_ Cutler  _

_ P.S.  _

_ Shit. I probably should have been more uplifting.  _

_ P.P.S.  _

_ Sorry I'm shitty with the sappy stuff too.  _

_ P.P.P.S.  _

_ [A small cartoon like doodle of suit of power armor] I know how you like your power armor. Did that make you smile? _

~

Danse chuckled lightly at Cutler's attempts to cheer him up, but it didn't stop the worried feeling for long. Soon the joy that was coursing through his veins, ran cold. They both knew the risks that came with pledging their lives to the Brotherhood. Even so, It didn’t make moments like this any easier. A migraine started building at the back of his skull. There was no way he was going to get any rest tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter.... but the Battle of Adams Air Force Base is the next chapter. That's gonna be a crazy ride so I wanted to get in a little tiny bit of Fluff before that all went down. 
> 
> Plus, since I decided to kinda cut out the Lone Wanderer... I am gonna take a lot of liberties with the events leading up to and during the battle. So Im gonna claim it being a little AU vs attempting to keep as true to canon material as I normally try.
> 
> [Correction Made 05.05.2019 - I had to fix the timeline again. I really wanted to go off of canon dates but I am finding Bethesda doesn't really have anything like that. They don't flow with player choices as well as BioWare did with Dragon Age and Mass Effect.]


	10. Chapter 10

**\- - - Late August 2277 - - -**

**The Enemy:** The Enclave.

**The Objective:** Take Adams Air Force Base.

**Execution:** 0800 The 28th of August 2277

**The Mission:** Sentinel Sarah Lyons will lead a company of Brotherhood forced into a frontal attack on Adams Air Force Base. This will create a distraction, while Paladin Krieg leads a small squad of soldiers to infiltrate an abandoned wing of the base, through the Presidential Metro System. Their primary objective will be to destroy the Enclave’s Central Command Hub and Defensive Power Grid. While making their way to the command hub, the squad will also place a series of remote charges. These charges will be detonated via remote once the squad has cleared the compound. This will be the signal for the Brotherhood’s secret weapon, Liberty Prime, to deploy it’s finally offensive, and release a bombardment of Mark 28 Nukes.

 

\---

 

Cutler took a deep breath after re-reading the mission brief for the fifth time. This was going to be a massive operation. The largest in the Brotherhood’s history since he has been a part of it. He was nervous to say the least, but eager. He may have butt heads with the Brotherhood on more than one occasion, but he would die to defend what they stood for and what they protected.

His fingers once again found their way to the rim of his golden ring. They always seemed to find placement there in moments like this. Even when Danse wasn’t around, it gave Cutler some of his strength. He leaned back in his chair and stared up at the night sky. It was a peaceful.

“Guess this is what they call the peace before the storm...” He could hear himself say out loud. He wasn’t really talking to anyone. It was late, and most had already turned in for the night. He really should hit the hay himself. He’d have to be up in about four hours for the final mission brief.... but the night air was just so crisp and the stars seemed to be dancing just for him... or maybe... it was just his nerves making up excuses.

He took a deep breath as he slapped his hands against his thighs, a second sigh willed him to stand up.

“Well… if this is to be my last night, it’s pretty damn beautiful one...”

 

\---

 

Rapid short breaths echoed loudly in his helmet as he raced down the corridors of the Presidential Metro ruins. So far they had encountered little resistance. It was mostly from automated turrets long since forgotten, and old feral ghouls who’ve been dormant for god knows how long.

As they got closer to the compound they could hear the fighting growing louder. The adrenaline coursing through their veins now fueling their cause. Just as they broke the surface into the cover of an old maintenance hangar, Paladin Krieg halted his squad. This was their final stop before commencing the crucial leg of their mission.

**_Deep Breath._** They had spent the last few days and this morning memorizing the mission objective and blueprints of this place, they were prepared.

“Alright, listen up. For the final push we are going to split into two groups. Team Deimos and Team Phobos. Team Deimos will be Knight-Sergeant Kyte, Knight Cutler, and Knight Stevens. You three will be with me. Knight-Captain James you will lead Team Phobos with Knight Wynter, Knight Yale, and Knight Quinn.

Our primary objective is to take down the Central Command Hub and in turn the Defensive Power Grid. As you know, the power grid is set up to run on auxiliary power if Central Command loses its power supply. This means, the auxiliary power source will need to be destroyed first. This objective will be assigned to Team Phobos. Team Phobos will have exactly fifteen minutes to accomplish this. Once that time is up, Team Deimos will make our way to the Central Command Hub. There we will shut down the main power supply.

Make sure you are setting your charges alone the way. Once both teams have rendezvous back in the subway tunnels, I will detonate the charges. This will give us approximately ten minutes to hall ass back down the subway corridors.” Paladin Krieg took this moment to pause as he let the objective soak into his soldiers one final time.

“Failure is not an option. We will get this done, for the Brotherhood and for Elder Lyons. Godspeed men.” Paladin Krieg saluted his men, as they returned the gesture.

Breaking their formation both teams divided up into different sections of the maintenance hangar. Once their hud clocks were synced and the signal was given by the Paladin, Team Phobos made their exit.

Since they couldn’t afford to send any kind of signal, as it could potentially give away their position, it now became a waiting game for Team Deimos. According to the blueprints, the maintenance hangar was only about twenty meters south of the auxiliary power housing, so fifteen minutes should be plenty of time to accomplish their objective.

Cutler watched the minutes tick away on his power armor’s hud. The anticipation was making him restless. As the time crept close Paladin Krieg called out the one minute warning.  

"Three.... Two... One..." Cutler mouthed as the time approached zero.

“Alright men, on me! Let's move!” Krieg demanded as he pushed forward from the hangar.

As its namesake suggests, the Central Command Hub was located in the middle of the compound, forcing them to cross open terrane with barely any cover, let alone something big enough to hide full suits of Power Armor. While the power armor would prove useful against their vulnerability, it would prove to basically void any attempt at stealth.

As they moved from the maintenance hangar, Cutler fell inline behind Paladin Krieg. Thankfully the external turrets station above their heads were preoccupied with the Sentinel's assault. Knight-Sergeant Kyte and Knight Stevens took up the rear, guarding their six. As they advanced, Cutler and Stevens both took ownership of placing most of the charges along their route.

So far things were going smoothing but this didn't sit well with Cutler, he could feel the tension growing in his chest... But this was the easy part. Once they shut down Central Command, all eyes would be on them. As they reached the command entrance, Cutler and Knight Stevens stood guard outside the doors while Paladin Krieg and Knight-Sergeant Kyte made their way inside.

The ease of the mission continued to weighing on Cutler as his nerves grew tenfold. It was as if a whole fleet of moths were dive bombing around in his gut. He tightened the grip on his rifle as he took another hard look around. **_Fuck._** They really were completely exposed. Not even something as simple as a rail guard or some crates to kneel behind. All he could do was remain diligent, as they waited for their two superiours to finish up inside.

As the minutes passed by, he started to notice even more issues with their surrounding. The stairs platform and railings were almost completely rusted out. As his eyes followed the railing down, he noticed the rust seemed to worsen closer towards the foundation.  **_Ah, Shit._ ** The structure probably hadn't been repaired or even cleaned since the Great War.  **_Fantastic._ ** Now he wasn’t only nervous about being exposed to the enemy, but also about the entreaty of their perch. Both Knight Stevens and him had to weight close to a ton in their power armor. They might as well of been another charge waiting to be detonated.

The persistency of his uneasiness continues to grow, as a numbing sensation started to prickle at the base of his neck. It was hard to tell whether this was his nerves getting the best of him, or his tactical sense genuinely warning him. **_Fuck._** Things seemed to be too damn quiet.

Then—at the corner of his peripheral, something caught his eye. A flash of light that he had to double take to catch. The fear jolted up through his chest when he realized what it was.

“Missile Inbound!” He screamed as his lungs burned with urgency. He had only a fraction of a moment to act, and all he could think to do was to throw his body into Knight Stevens, knocking them both off the platform and tumbling to the ground.

Then a defining boom shattered the platform above them. A thick rust colored haze filled the air. Both knights scrambled to regain their bearings, but it was proving difficult in the debris. Cutler’s legs felt wobbly, he was pretty sure the suit was the real support allowing him to stand. Everything was disorienting, the lights, the dust, the debris, even the distant sound of gunfire and explosions.

As he frantically searched through the dust, a faint silhouette started to take shape. Power armor. An armored hand extending towards him. As he was about to move to take it, it was suddenly swept away in a flash of light and a second thunderous boom.

After that moment, all sound ceased to be. He felt weightless as he descended into the shadows. Everything around him was being consumed by the darkness…. Soon not even his thoughts remained.

 

\---

 

A loud ringing started to echo through his skull, bouncing off the walls of his helmet. **_So sound does exist_** , he thought to himself.  He tried to call for Stevens, but the ringing seemed to muffle his cries. He still couldn't establish if the ringing was only in his head or, if an alarm had been triggered. Regardless of the cause, he needed to keep moving.

As he tried to move, nothing happened. **_Shit, something was wrong._** Taking a deep breath in through his nose, he released it slowly as he tried to collect both his surroundings and his thoughts. He closed his eyes as he tried to calm his racing heart. **_Breath. Just Breath._** He knew he needed to calm down if he wanted to have any chance of escaping alive.

“Knight!! Can you hear me? Can you move?” A loud modulated voice boomed through the silence as Cutler’s eyes shot open.  **_Shit._ ** He didn’t even hear him approach.

“Y-yes sir…” He made a second attempt to move, but to no avail. Only this time he realized it wasn’t his body failing him, but the hydraulics of his power armor. “M-my armor… I can’t move…”

“Understood. Your suit looks pretty damaged. At this point, our best best is to remove you.”  The ringing started to subside as he heard the heavy footsteps of power armor move behind him.

“I am gonna have to turn you on your stomach in order to pull you out of the armor.” with that, he was heaved onto his stomach as his suit hissed in release. His muscles were screaming as he was pulled from the suit by metal hands.  Despite the chaos, the cold rush of air that blew across his sweat soaked skin was welcoming.

“Thank you, sir.” he replied through breathy gasps, as he attempted to place weight on his left leg.  **_Shit. Something was wrong there too._ **

“No time to rest soldier, we need to get out of here as soon as possible!”

Cutler looked around. “Where are we? Are we beneath the Command Bub? I don't recall seeing this on the schematics of this place.”

“That’s because they most likely weren't there. Those blueprints were classified with the lowest pre-war clearance for this facility. It was all we had access too. This is possibly something only the higher ups knew about.”

With that said, both soldiers took this moment to gather their surroundings. The room was filled with rows of pre-war computers, stacked all the way to the ceiling. In the center of the room were rows of desks and filing cabinets. The other soldier was right, this was most likely an area for highly classified information. As Cutler attempted to place weight on his left leg again, he scanned the room. His eyes soon fell upon a working terminal in the corner of the room.

“Look! It’s still on. It’s possible this wing wasn't unknown to the Enclave. Perhaps there's something useful on that terminal.”  He said as he started to limp towards it, each step causing more pain then the last. As he got closer, he realized the documents scattered about even seemed to be newly written. This supported his claim even more that the Enclave was using this place. As his fingers began to move across the keyboard, he realized the computer had never been locked. **_Finally, a lucky break._** The last person must have rushed out once the fighting began.

The computer had dozens of secured folders. The labeled ranged from several Brotherhood topics all the way to the 'Forced Evolutionary Virus'. Surprisingly, those weren't even the largest files, that title belonged to the one labeled “The Institute”.

“Hey! We don’t have time to browse. If you have a holodisk on you, try saving the data over. We can look into it more once we get back to the Citadel. We don't have much time left, before Paladin Krieg detonates those charges.”

In that moment, Cutler turned sharply as his eyes fell to the ranking marks on the soldier's armor. They were not those of a Paladin, but that of a Knight-Sergeant.

“Wait, where... where is the Paladin?“ looking around more frantically as he realized Stevens wasn’t with them either. “A-and Knight Stevens?”

“Knight Stevens… He… He didn't survive the second blast. He took a direct hit. Paladin Krieg was fatally wounded when half of the Command Center came crashing down. He said he would stay behind to detonate the charges we set earlier. His sacrifice will allow us to complete our object and destroy the Command Hub.”

Cutler took a moment to let that information soak in. He then nodded to his superior, he knew this wasn't the time to mourn.  He shuffled through a few of his pockets to find a holodisks, he always kept empty ones on hand for moments like these. Once he inserted the holodisk he initiated a full download of the information he could find.

Even though it felt like an eternity, it only took a few minutes for the computer to complete its appointed task.  As the disk ejected, he quickly grabbed it and tucked it away into one of his extra mag pouches.

“Our best bet is to head down this corridor. It runs the same direction as the subway tunnels, so it’s possible it may lead into them.”

“Yes, Sir!” Cutler nodded as he limped over to follow his commanding officer.

As the made their way deeper into the tunnel, he could feel the pain in his thigh starting to surge into to an almost debilitating level. The pain even began to migrate through his hip and lower back. Cutler has to pound a mantra into his thoughts as an attempt to drown out the pain.

“You can’t stop… Keep moving… KEEP... MOVING...”He started to whisper under his breath.

“Halt! Stay where you are!” Came a booming voice from deeper into the tunnels.

Cutler couldn't afford to stop. His body was screaming. **_Keep Moving... Keep Moving._**

“Squad Phobos is that you?” Called Knight-Sergeant Kyte.

Cutler thought he recognized the voice, but the moment he tried to think of anything else, the pain started to flood through the cracks.

“Paladin Krieg?” The voice echoed.

“Knight-Sergeant Kyte. Paladin Krieg stayed behind, he will be setting the charges soon. We need to get out from here. We are the only two remaining members of Team Deimos... but, Knight Cutler is severely wounded. Do you have a man to spare to help him out?”

A shadow emerged from the shadows, transforming into a Brotherhood warrior.

“Shit. Yes, Sir. I am Knight Wynter. Knight-Captain James fell in battle as we made our way back to the subway tunnels. All other members of Team Phobos are accounted for.”

As Cutler focused on the tunnel the other Knight’s silliquets came into view. He was surprised his mind even allowed him that much.

“Alright. Knight Wynter, help Knight Cutler… we need to move now!”

The pain started to make his surroundings turn into a string of hazy events. He could feel his body being swept up, and he could feel his body respond is a second wave of excruciating pain. Soon lights started to shift swiftly across his vision. His thoughts got lost in this.  **_Are we moving quickly now... or is the world simply just ending?_ **

Suddenly a series of deafening explosions echoed across the walls of the subway corridor. Orders were being belted as the lights flickered, but he couldn't focus any longer. The corners of his consciousness were tumbling into nothingness. Ringing once again flooded all his thoughts as his world returned to darkness once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes:  
> So, like I said in the last chapter's notes, I changed up a lot in this chapter. To make all my ideas fit into the story, I had to completely changed the events happening at Adams Air Force Base. I removed most of the events the Lone Wanderer took part in, and changed up how Liberty Prime was brought into the story. 
> 
> To make a long story short, the timeline was too hard to work with. There really isn't a solid canon timeline and on top of that... a lot of it depended on the Lone Wanderer and Sole Survivor initiating them. So I kinda just said "fuck it" and decided to make the story my own. lol :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took longer than normal for me to publish. Life got crazy, then my motivation for this chapter started to wane, but I finally got it finished and I hope it's okay. ^^; Also, I got a new tumblr account: **the-redlion**

“Lucas, where is he? W-where do they have him? What’s his current status?” Danse's demanded as his booming voice echoed through the halls of the medical wing.

“Calm down. There are other patients here, you need to be considerate…” Lucas stood firm as she spoke under a demanding whisper, her hands moved to press against Danse’s chest.

“Cutler is fine! You should be resting… or have you forgotten you have been injured as well!” Lucas sighed as her voice slowly started to return to normal, and her hands shifting to give his forearms a pleading squeeze. She wasn’t going to budge on this situation, but she understood his desperation.

Danse sighed as well, He knew Lucas was right. It had only been a few weeks since he'd returned to the Citadel from his mission. He knew pushing himself too much would potential render him completely useless… but the sinking feeling in his gut, nagged at him far more than any broken ribs.

“All things considered, he is doing rather well. He suffered a few minor lacerations but the worst of it, was a broken femur. he will be off active duty for several months, but I’ve heard rumors he might have plans for the downtime.” Lucas smiled as she attempted to comfort Danse by rubbing his arm.

“When I left him last, he was sleeping. Mostly due to all the pain medications but, the rest is doing him good.” She smiled as she gripped his wrist, and lead him to a cot of his own.

“How about this… If you give me a couple of _good_ hours of sleep, I’ll see about making a bed up for you next to his. Sound like a deal?”

A small smile curled at the corner of his lips as he nodded. Lucas returned the smile, as she slowly started to removed her hand from his arm, only stopping to give him one last small grip of reassurance before letting go.

\---

Danse sat by Cutler’s bedside. He had made his way there after getting the sleep he’d promised Lucas. He had slept for about five hours, which was honestly more than he thought he was going to. Once he woke, he found a note placed next to the bed. It was in Lucas’s handwriting, it had Cutler’s room location written on it. He gave a breathy laugh, as he stood. She was too good to him sometimes.

She even made him smile for a second time, when he saw a bed was made up next to Cutler’s. Though... Danse did falter a little on keeping his word. He promised he would try and use the bed to rest, but in honest, he was making little effort to do so. All he could think about was Cutler, and being by his side.

Taking a seat on Cutler's bed, Danse reached for his partner’s hand and took hold of it with both of his—gently squeezing it. It wasn’t a second later that, Cutler started to stir, and Danse could feel the excitement surge through every fiber of his being.

“Cutler….” Danse spoke in a gentle whisper.

Cutler’s eyelashes fluttered for a moment as orbs slowly started to stir underneath his lids. Soon a breathy grumble surfaced as his eyes slowly opened. Within a moment they’d found their target, stopping as soon as Danse came into view. A slow smile started to bloom across his lips.

Danse let out a deep raspy chuckle, as his thumb started to roll over the back of Cutler’s hand.

“H-Hey…” Cutler said through a scratchy and tired voice.

“Hey…” Danse replied as he stood slowly, one hand releasing its grip to take hold of his injured side.

“How are you feeling?”

“W-well… better…” Cutler looked around the room for a few minutes. Then his eyes connected with Danse’s once more.

“You’re probably wondering what happened, huh? Can't just get away with, an 'I love you'?”

Danse shook his head.

"Well, my memory is a little fuzzy still... I still have trouble piecing it all together..."

Danse squeezed his partner's hand once more. He knew what “officially” happened through the reports, but he wanted to hear directly from Cutler.

“Hmm... well, last I remember... was the metro tunnels… I was there with Knight-Sergeant Kyte… I-I think someone was carrying me…but before that… P-Paladin Krieg… he…” Cutler’s eyes suddenly widened with realization. Danse's expression was pained but he only nodded as his own expression dropped.

“They briefed me shortly after I arrived. He had an honorable death—a warrior’s death. The Brotherhood will honor his sacrifice.”

Cutler could tell the words weren’t comfortable coming out of Danse’s mouth. To any other Brotherhood soldier, his response would have been seen as professional and respectable, but to Cutler, he could see the twitch at the corner of Danse’s mouth, and the drop of his brow as the words came out too systematically. But he understood. He knew Danse found comfort in the Brotherhood producalls, especially in moments like this, so he let the thought end with a heartfelt nod.

“Afterwards they told me you had been seriously injured…” Danse cleared his throat suspiciously. “That’s when I made my way here… with urgently.”

“Uh-Oh, I bet you pissed Lucas off with all that _urgency_ . You better have at least taken your power armor off. If not, I am _not_ paying for _any_ of those damages…”

Danse cleared his throat, as his eyes shifted away from his partner’s gaze. Cutler chuckled.

“So… With that look, I am guessing your armor is in the shop?”

“Eh em. It has officially been decommissioned… permanently”

“Permanently?” Cutler stared at Danse, studying him for a moment. He knew Danse wouldn’t allow something like that to happen easily. He wouldn’t have been that tactically irresponsible unless the situation was dire. Cutler sat up suddenly.

“You were injured, weren't you?” Cutler’s brow drew serious. Danse gave a gentle squeeze of his partner’s hand, as a small smile tried to subdue the situation.

"I can't just get away with, an 'I love you'?”

Cutler scowled as Danse sighed in defeat.

“ I was, yes. But after a few weeks, several stimpaks,  and some rest, I am doing a lot better.”

“I am not buying it!” His eyes became like searchlights, scanning every inch of his body.

Where? Where were you hurt?”

Danse continued to smile as he stood up. There was no sense in hiding it. He knew Cuter was a determined soul. So he lifted his T-shirt to reveal the newly branded laceration across his chest. It had healed significantly since he'd last taken a moment to look at it. It was now faded in color, only a shade or two darker than his natural pigment. The bruising was mostly gone too, only a few green and yellow outlines remained.

“JONATHAN MARKUS DANSE! Are you kidding me?! You’re going to fuss over me when you have something so narly on your own chest? I am starting to see why you frustrate Lucas.”

“Markus? My name isn’t Markus...” He avoided answering.

“It is now! When you're really mad at someone, you use a middle name. Hence why you now have one...I mean… That's basically the only reason they had them back before the war... Wait… Don’t avoid the subject.”

“Haha, I am fine. I promise.” Danse reassured him as he sat back down, lowering his shirt.

“Well… The scar did look healed well enough, and your bruising is basically non existent... but next time, tell me!”

“Alright, Alright… So, beyond getting hurt... The reports I read spoke highly of your actions in the assault. Even said you had retrieved some vital data.”

“I am actually kind of proud of that… I was pretty much a burden for the second half of the assault… But, yes, I did find something. The Enclave had an underground facility Knight-Sergeant Kyte and I discovered.  I wish we would of had more time, but I was fortunate enough to find a terminal with dozens of data files saved on it. Normally afterwards, this would of been handed off to the scribes and that would be the end of my involvement…. But since I am gonna be out of commission for awhile, ya know, with this bum leg. I got approved to work with a Scribe team to pour through the data. Even Knight-Sergeant Kyte asked to be part of the team.”

Cutler was beaming. Danse was excited for him, though he did feel bad he would be confined to the Citadel for such an extended time. The doctors did say he could possibly be held up for eight to twelve weeks. But if he was this excited, this is exactly where he needed to be.

“I am ecstatic for you.” Danse said as he stood again, this time to take a seat on his own bed.

“So, are there any particularly fascinating files you’re looking forward to digging into?” Danse asked.

“Yeah! There was one on FEV. Maybe the Enclave had some kind of leg up on those bastards, or maybe, better yet… some kind of cure research.”

“Damn. Could you even imagine that?”

\---

 

**Six Years Later**

**\- - - Spring 2283 - - -**

 

**Log #144**

**Date: May 11th, 2283**

 

_Its has been awhile since I’ve updated this log. Last entry shows 2280. I guess I’ll have to update a bunch of information. Since that’s kind of time consuming, we will go with the short version._

  _It’s been two years  since Arthur Maxson had officially been appointed Elder of the Easter branch. Though I may have butt heads with him over the years, he has always been respectful to Danse and I. That might not seem like an important quality to most, but to me, it shows he has potential to be something great. Most of the other that tired, and failed, at the position of Elder, seemed to just hunger after nothing more than just power. He seems to have a bit of that Sarah Lyons spark in him. Hopefully that doesn't go away._

  _Under his guidance, the Brotherhood of Steel was able to finish its most ambitious project since I joined_ _—_ _The Prydwen. It’s an astonishing marvel, that would even rival airships from before the war._

  _It’s a testament to the Brotherhoods ingenuity and strength. Even though it’s over a year old now, it has seen little action. I honestly think at this point, it behaves more as a structure to place fear in the hearts of  its enemies. Though I guess that’s a good use too, less blood that way._

  _Anyways. Elder Maxson has officially approved Paladin Kyte’s and my research mission to the FEV lab we have been searching for. Six years ago, we found the data that started us on this crazy adventure, and now we might finally have the next chapter. According to data, the Enclave had captured a man by the name of Dr. Zimmer. Zimmer stated he had created a humanoid beings, Androids or Synths (both terms have been used in his research), that were immune to FEV. With all the different strains noted in the data, that theory sounded impossible. So it wasn’t something we put too much time into. But something changed, we had  found a lead on possible location for Dr. Zimmer, a pre-war FEV lab near Baltimore. Now the data isn’t exactly sure on a specific location… but this is something we have to follow up on. To find out Dr. Zimmer is possibly still alive is something we can’t pass up. Could you imagine what this could mean for the Brotherhood? We have to see if it’s possible that this immunity could be passed on to us. If it could, this would give us a huge advantage on the war against such abominations._

_Elder Maxson has  granted my team permission to follow this lead. It will be Paladin Kyte, Knight Wynters, three scribes, and myself. We are scheduled to leave tomorrow. So this will be my last entry for some time, but hopefully I will be able to return to add a plethora of new information to the Brotherhood’s collective._

 

  _Knight- Sergeant Cutler._

 

_\---_

 

Danse read over the entry for the fifth time. It was the last thing Cutler left behind before setting out on his mission. The mission was slated to take no longer than one month. Three months later and there was still no evidence of the scouting team. Something happened. Danse’s gut sank every time he thought about it.

He knew each and every one of  those soldiers knew the risks of such a mission... but, he couldn’t fight the thought that nagged at the back of his mind. He should have been there for them… For Cutler.

 

The guilt continued to eat at him, till it turned into frustration. They were heading to an _F-E-V lab_ , the potential for a super mutant presents was astronomical!  Why did they make the call to enter with only three officers and a couple of scribes? That was completely asinine.  They should have waited for his team. They should have waited for him…. And there it was again—the guilt.

 

 

Finally, after begging the Elder for over a month, Maxson gave Danse permission to lead a search party. This wasn’t something  Maxson would normally approved of, but this was Danse. His long time friend and loyal subordinante. To top it off, this was the first time Danse had ever asked for anything. Maxson didn’t like the idea of putting one of his most trusted and skilled Paladins at risk, but he also knew if Danse didn't get closure, he wouldn’t be much use to him either.

 

 **20-08-2283:** Paladin Danse’s Rescue team was deployed to the Baltimore area.

 

 

**\- - - September 13th, 2283 - - -**

 

After a little over three weeks of searching, the rescue team finally had confirmation on their target. Many caravan troopes and locals knew of the facility, and had even made comments of seeing a Brotherhood patrol snooping around the area a few months earlier. This was it, the FEV lab. It was just like Cutler’s entry had stated, it was a few miles south of Baltimore. And as Danse had suspected, it was crawling with Super Mutants. Danse could feel his blood run cold. There was no sign of anyone besides those foul creatures. Despite trying to stay collected for the integrity of the mission, Danse’s thoughts continued to race about sporadically. **_Maybe they never found the lab… maybe the locals confused a group of mercenaries. Maybe they found a different lead and decided to follow that. Maybe they simply got lost…_ **

 

“Paladin Danse, you need to take a look at this.” It was Knight Rhys who spoke, nudging Danse with the butt of his rifle.

“There’s evidence that a battle, or at least a skirmish had taken place here. Scorch marks along the debris and rubble. Laser rifles. Super Mutants are known for using them...”

 

“Sharp observation, Knight. You could be correct. All the more reason for us to use caution. We may have the advantage of  low visibility on our side, but we shouldn’t underestimate our enemy.”

 

“Roger, Sir” Knight Rhys echoed.

 

That’s when Danse caught the shimmer of a Brotherhood chestplate lying in the tall grass. On closer examination, he realized it was still attached to the deceased. **_Knight Wynters. He was part of Cutler’s crew_ ** . He could feel the numbness creeping down his spine. **_So they were here._ **

 

Danse signalled his team as he crouched behind a pile of old cement road blocks. As his team followed his orders, he presented them with his recent grim discovery.

 

“It’s possible the other could still be held up inside. It isn’t unlike Super Mutant behavior to take prisoners.” Danse said as emotions started to seep into his mannerisms.

 

“True, sir. But for this long? T-That’s irregular….” Knight Sergeant Dawes was the one to speak up. His voice was sympathetic. The gravity of his statement was wasn’t lost on him. He knew what Cutler was to Danse. As far as the Brotherhood was concerned, they were basically an old married couple at this point.

Danse nodded a few times, words unable to find him. He didn't want to think of the worst case scenario. The thought alone was starting to numb his bones. No. He had to see for himself.

 

“Regardless, these abominations need to be eradicated from the face of the earth. It is our duty as sworn members of the Brotherhood of Steel.”

There was a moment of silence before they answered their commanding officer with a series of salutes. The situation was now dire.

 

Knight Brach and Knight Rhys scouted out all sides of the building, as their team’s battle plan started to take shape. There were a total of four guards and two mutant guard dogs. Two of the guards were stationed in makeshift watch towners, they would be easy to take out with a silenced weapon. This was a task Danse assigned to Knight Worwick and Knight Keane. Once they completed their task they would signal the others to start the assault on the remaining two guards and dogs.

Danse’s chest was starting to ache. He had never had this feeling before. This constant sinking, was compromising the mission. He’d never fought so hard just to maintain his composure. **_Focus, for him._ **

The first part of the plan when by in a flash, six dead corpsed now laid on the ground… and the sinking anxiety in his chest was starting to bubble just under the surface. He needed to be a leader for his men, and in his current status, he was moments away from miserable failure.

As they breached to front doors, they were greeted by a hail of bullets and hord of distorted angry voices. Though, despite the heavy resistance, It didn’t take the team long to dispose of the horrid monsters. Maybe it was the fires of determination but the assault seemed to only take a few moments compared to their lengthy journey to get here.

Soon they had made their way deep into the belly of the facility. Once they had descended the final set of stairs, they had come upon a long windowed corridor. As they made their way through, they were greeted by a horrendous sight. Each windowed room was a holding cell for their horrid experiments. Mangled remains of humans, all in various stages of decay and mutation. **_They were being experimented on._ **This made the bile jump up in Danse’s throat. He could even hear one of his men, heaving behind him. The sight was truly something of nightmares.

“What kind of fucking animals would do something like this?” Rhy’s voice came from behind him.

Normally Danse would scold him for the language but, the exact same thoughts were running through his head. So instead, he kept silent.

Soon voices could be heard coming from the farthest room. A chamber  with no window but two double doors, one which was cracked. It sounded like they were arguing. Surprisingly one of the voices was clearly a mutant. **_Since when were they capable of even using their words? Normally they just bash the head in of anything they didn't agree with._ ** Suddenly the second voice broke through Danse’s thoughts… it  sounded human. The voices were rather degraded by the doors, so it was hard to place if any of them were familiar. But before he could try and hone in on their words a sudden, sudden crash was heard, followed by a scream.

Danse broke into a full sprint as he burst into the room. There in front of him was a super mutant holding a now limp corpse by the neck. Danse raised his weapons to the monster as his eyes shot to the human…. Danse didn't recognize him. He looked like he was a scientist of some sort. Maybe he was working with the mutants…or  maybe one of his experiments finally broke free and took his revenge. A thousand thoughts were running through his mind till suddenly none were….

Every inch of him froze when his eyes locked onto what was dangling from the super mutant’s neck. **_No_ ** **.** Now his bones ached, as his vision started to blur…. **_No._ ** It was _his_ ring. **_Why? How? No..._ ** After his vision was finally able to collect itself, he started to examine the mutant further. Remains of a Brotherhood uniform dangled from his grotesk limbs. **_No. No. No._ ** He could feel the tears welding up. **_No. No. No._ **

The creature finally made eye contact with Danse. He could tell the beast recognized him. That’s when it’s lips parted to speak as it raised a weapon from its side and pointed it back at Danse.

“D….Dan… se…” The words seemed to slowly tumble from his lips. **_Why? Why you?_ ** Danse found himself shaking his head as the tears started rolling down his cheeks. **_I… I have to…_ ** He wasn’t even sure when he raised his gun or even when he fired it. All he could see was the mutant falling to the ground, a pool of blood gathering beneath him. His rifle falls to the floor beside him. **_Forgive me._ **

He couldn’t move, he just stood there, his eyes fixated on the ring. There was no doubt, it was the ring same ring he  had gifted his lover all those years ago.

Danse’s eyes followed Knight Worwick as he approached the corpse to remove the ring from its neck, a second chain followed... dog tags. As Worwick approached Danse, he could feel the edges of his vision starting to blur once more. **_No. No. No. This has to be a dream… a nightmare. Please, no._ **

Worwick took his superior’s hand gently, as he placed the ring and tags in Danse’s open palm. Danse closed his eyes. He couldn't look… no not yet... He took a deep breath, and slowly started to open his eyes… once he opened, it took all of his courage to look down... the lettering on the dog tags stood out as if they were on fire.

“Knight-Sergeant Ryan Cutler.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter hurt to write. I hated doing that to Danse, and to Cutler. I had fallen so in love with him. Though I am thinking of writing a spin off for Cutler later down the road.


	12. Chapter 12

So, I have decided to suspend this fiction. Not really sure if it’s permanent or not... but yeah. I have been getting some rude messages on Tumblr about it... and it’s kind of ruined the joy of it for me. Thank you for everyone that supported this story. 

 

If if you wanna know where I was gonna go with it, feel free to message me on Tumblr, the-redlion. 

Thanks again and I am sorry. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated.
> 
> Also y'all can find me on Tumblr:  
> https://the-redlion.tumblr.com


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